An Unusual Annual

Day 164
The Daily DuBrule

This year I am growing an unusual annual on my deck that I really enjoy. It is Ruellia brittoniana. I don't know a common name. I haven't had this plant in over 10 years. I used to grow it in a container at my cottage in Guilford. It was happy in dappled sun and tolerated the uneven watering I was able to give it due to the fact that I had a very shallow well. 

What I really like about this plant is the fact that is is very three dimensional. The flowers sail outwards from the stems. They seem to float in the air. It has a gracefulness that I enjoy, especially when paired with more rounded plants. Hummingbirds adore it, and so do the butterflies.

Yesterday we received a perennial Ruellia at the nursery. Ruellia humilis is called the wild petunia. It is native to the Eastern United States and grows in dry open woods and fields. I am now on a mission to learn all about this interesting genus.