Care Of Mexican Petunia: How To Care For Mexican Petunia

Ruellia or Mexican petunia is a species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It is a native of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. It has become a widespread invasive plant in Florida. where it had been likely introduced as a decorative plant before 1933.

Mexican petunias are pretty flowering evergreen perennial plants that can be grown in containers as shrubs like plants or as ground cover. It can grow rapidly and spread easily. Ruellia is the best plant for decoration of the edge and lawn of your terrace garden. It remains green year after year and enriches the beautification of your home garden.

Ruellia flowers have a natural beauty now it available in three colors 

1. Metallic blue

2. White

3.Pink 

How To Grow & Care For Mexican Petunia?

Soil & Pot: Mexican Petunia can grow on any normal soil but it blooms vigorously only on cocopeat mixed soil. It is better to grow them in containers like fruit baskets because of its beautification. But make sure to have at least 2 to 4 drainage holes at the bottom. 

Propagation: You can propagate Mexican petunias through seeds, by cutting off the stem and by division. From seeds you should start its cultivation between October and November. Otherwise you can propagate it by cutting and division anytime no problem.

Potting Mix & Pot: Seedlings are plotted 6 to 10-inch space in large container. Prepare a soil mix as 60% soil with 40% coco peat. Container soil should be a minimum 6-inch height.

After planting, keep seedlings under shade for one 48 hours. TShift under direct sunlight gradually after 48 hours. After 15 days, apply 4gm/lit urea spray for vigorous growth.

Watering: Keep in mind that it needs moderate watering. During flowering phase, apply water twice in day if soil dries easily. For proper growth just maintain soil moisture and

Blooming Time: It will start blooming in summer, when temperatures rise above 33^o Celsius.

Fertilizers: When blooming starts, spray NPK (0:0:60) 5gm diluted in 1 litre water solution. It increases flowering in the plant. Apply one teaspoon bone-meal and 10 gm mustard cake powder every three-month interval.

Deadheading: Keep removing dead or spent flowers time to time. It will help in promoting growth of new flowers and will keep your plants in healthy condition.

Importance Of Mexican Petunia

1. Mexican petunias are popular ornamental plants.

2. Paste of leaves is used also used for skin diseases. 

3. Roots are used to destroy parasitic intestine worm(tapeworms). 

4. Ruellia tuberosa has been extensively used for the treatment of emesis, analgesia, inflammation, and also used in stomach cancer.

5. You can use Mexican petunias as folk medicine and Ayurvedic medicine to treatment of syphilis and gonorrhoea.

6. It used as a natural dye for the textile industry.

7. In folk medicine and Ayurvedic medicine it has been used as a diuretic, antidiabetic, antipyretic, analgesic, and gastroprotective.