Machu^™ Morado Mexican Petunia Ruellia simplex

These were in my garden when I bought my house four years ago. I’m in zone 7b, but this plant was invasive, spreading several feet in all directions from a single plant. The lush, dense thicket of plants was five feet tall. A year after trying to remove it, I’m still fighting volunteers; it resprouts from the smallest node fragment. That said, pollinators love it, deer don’t bother it, and it’s beautiful. I’m allowing brave pioneers to grow in my now-diverse pollinator garden, and I will enjoy the ones braving my shade garden at woods’ edge across the yard. I first noticed this plant when I lived In Florida, where I guess it was manicured into polite behavior. Now I know it better; nice to know some living creature likes our increasingly hot climate of Piedmont NC.

They have a lovely structure and great leaf color... BUT barely any blooms. Out of the 5 plants we have planted they probably average a few blooms total per week by late August in zone 5b. Nice looking plant, but would only plant again for leaves and structure, not blooms.