Mexican Bluebell, Mexican Petunia
UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants
Publications
Managing Mexican Petunia (Ruellia simplex C. Wright) in the Home Landscape
EP498/ENH1237 by C. A. Reinhardt Adams, C. Wiese, L. C. Lee, A. M. Smith, R. Freyre, and S. B. WilsonApril 29, 2019Environmental tolerance, abundant seed production, and an ability to easily grow from plant stem sections have allowed Mexican petunia to spread into natural areas that border urban areas. The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council lists Mexican petunia (wild-type and non-sterile cultivars) as a Category 1 invasive species, meaning that it is “altering native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives.” These potential changes to community structure and ecological function are of particular concern in Florida wetlands, where changes to plant communities have the potential to impact not just plant-animal interactions, but also overall hydrology on a whole watershed level. This 6-page fact sheet was written by C. A. Reinhardt Adams, C. Wiese, L.C. Lee, S.B. Wilson, A. M. Smith, and R. Freyre, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, April 2014.
Natural Area Weeds: Mexican Petunia (Ruellia simplex)
EP415/ENH1155 by Sandra B. Wilson, Adrienne Burkhead, Carrie Reinhardt Adams, and Rosanna FreyreOctober 2, 2023A UF/IFAS numbered Fact Sheet. in support of UF/IFAS Extension program: Integrated Pest Management
