Species · genus Ruellia · Acanthaceae

Carolina Wild Petunia

Ruellia caroliniensis (J.F.Gmel.) Steud.

Also known as: Carolina Ruellia

Growth habit

Unknown

Native range

Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia

Reference · R. caroliniensis

Cultivars of R. caroliniensis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under R. caroliniensis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A herbaceous wildflower of the Acanthaceae native to woodland edges and open ground across the southeastern and eastern United States, where it tolerates seasonal swings in moisture. It prefers bright indirect light and evenly moist but well-drained soil; water when the top inch of mix is dry, letting it approach dryness between drinks rather than staying soggy. Ordinary household humidity suits it.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–29 °C

Soil mix

Moist, well-draining loam

Propagation

Stem cuttings or seed

Fertilizing

Balanced feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Lavender-blue blooms in bright light

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Carolina Wild Petunia yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.