Mexican Petunia 'Purple Showers' (Ruellia tweediana 'Purple Showers'): Sterile Blue-Purple Blooms

Ruellia tweediana 'Purple Showers' (syn. Ruellia brittoniana), known as Mexican Petunia, Desert Petunia, or Florida Bluebells, is a popular, sterile cultivar with vibrant blue-purple, petunia-like flowers on tall, sturdy stems. It's a heat-loving, non-invasive selection.

Botanical Profile

Culture & Sterility

This clump-forming perennial grows 3–4 feet tall with lanceolate, dark green leaves. The 2-inch flowers are trumpet-shaped, vivid blue-purple, blooming continuously from spring to frost. Sterile—no seed set, eliminating the invasive potential of the species. Attracts butterflies.

It thrives in full sun to part shade, moist to wet soil (tolerates standing water), and heat. Hardy in zones 8–11. Use in borders, rain gardens, pond edges, and containers. The sterility makes it a responsible choice for regions where Mexican Petunia is invasive. A reliable, long-blooming blue for hot, wet sites.