Wild Petunia
Ruellia humilis
A groundcover-scale bloomer for dry, rocky spots: lavender-pink flowers June through September. Hummingbirds and native bees visit daily.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
A true drought-tough groundcover that keeps blooming all summer where other plants give up.
Wild petunia is the low, spreading prairie version of its taller relatives. It hugs the ground in dry rocky or sandy soils where most perennials struggle, sending up light lavender-pink flowers continuously from June through September. The blooms are fleeting on their own but produced in such quantity that the plant always looks like it's in full flower during the growing season. At six to eighteen inches tall, this is a groundcover-scale perennial that fills gaps in dry, sunny spots and moves slowly outward by rhizome. It works in gravel gardens, along paths, and at the base of stone walls where drainage is sharp. Hummingbirds and long-tongued native bees work the flowers daily.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown wild petunia propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant wild petunia instead of Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) in dry sunny locations. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 6"–1.5' · 12–24 in wide
- Bloom time
- June–September
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Native range
- Central and eastern United States from Kansas east to Pennsylvania, south to Georgia and Texas
Care notes for wild petunia.
Full to part sun in dry to average, well-drained soil. Excellent on slopes and in rocky or sandy conditions. Does not tolerate wet feet. Shear back by half in early spring to encourage dense new growth. Requires virtually no supplemental water once established.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside wild petunia.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.