# Carolina Ruellia (*ruellia caroliniensis*)

The Carolina Ruellia is a colorful flower that grows in gardens and along roadsides. Its bright purple petals attract butterflies and bees, making it a favorite among pollinators!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 25
- **Habitat:** It lives in open fields, gardens, and along roadsides in the southeastern United States.
- **Also known as:** Carolina Wild Petunia, Ruellia, Wild Petunia

![Carolina Ruellia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Wild_Petunia_Flower_5.JPG&width=800)

Photo: “Jon Zander ( Digon3 )", CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wild_Petunia_Flower_5.JPG)

## Appearance

The Carolina Ruellia has delicate, trumpet-shaped flowers, typically lavender to purple, often with five spreading lobes. Its oval, somewhat hairy dark green leaves grow on fuzzy stems, giving it a soft texture. It looks like a wild petunia.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Acanthaceae
- **Genus:** Ruellia

## Interesting facts

- Even though it's called 'wild petunia,' it's not a true petunia!
- Its flowers only last one day but new ones bloom constantly!
- Many tiny hairs on its leaves protect it from hungry insects.
- The sound of its popping seed pods can sometimes be heard!

## Special abilities

- **Seed Exploder:** Carolina Ruellia has seed pods that explosively pop open, flinging its seeds far away to spread!
- **Drought Defender:** Carolina Ruellia can grow in dry, sunny spots, using its tough roots to find water and stay strong.
- **Pollinator Magnet:** Carolina Ruellia produces nectar-rich flowers that attract busy bees and colorful butterflies to help it reproduce.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** [Eastern Tiger Swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-tiger-swallowtail) (*Papilio glaucus*) — Visits flowers for nectar.
- **Depends on:** [Common Buckeye](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-buckeye) (*Junonia coenia*) — Larvae feed on its leaves.
- **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Buzz pollinates its flowers.

## Traits

- [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbaceous): Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Carolina Ruellia?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Carolina Ruellia?

30-90 cm

### How wide does Carolina Ruellia spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Carolina Ruellia?

3-5 cm

### When does Carolina Ruellia bloom?

Summer to fall

### Is Carolina Ruellia edible?

No

### Is Carolina Ruellia toxic?

None

### What is Carolina Ruellia's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alfred-b-maclay-gardens-state-park) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden
- [Chandon Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chandon-park) — Virginia, US · Park
- [Charleston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charleston-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District
- [Conestee Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/conestee-nature-preserve) — South Carolina, US · Nature Reserve
- [French Quarter](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/french-quarter) — US · Neighborhood
- [Great Falls Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-falls-park) — Virginia, US · National Park

[View all places to see Carolina Ruellia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/carolina-ruellia)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Carolina Ruellia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/carolina-ruellia)