Monday, September 26, 2011

Mexican Petunias

We visited my parents over the weekend at their home in northeast Louisiana, and enjoyed sitting on their back porch watching the antics of their hummingbirds as they swarmed around two feeders. I'll share a few of the pictures I captured of the hummers later this week, but today I'd like to share these colorful Mexican Petunias (ruellia brittoniana), which are growing in a flower bed near their porch.

Mexican Petunia is a perennial shrub that grows to be about three feet high and three feet wide.


When grown under hot sunny conditions, the foliage assumes a metallic bluish cast.

The flowers are trumpet-shaped, and between one-and-a-half and two inches in diameter.

They can be white, pink, purple, or any shade of blue, but I've never seen any color but the bluish-purple. The flowers bloom profusely during the hottest part of the year, and butterflies love them.

This is a picture of my Mexican Petunias which I took a couple of years ago. If you look closely, you can see butterflies in and amongst the blooms.

The plant is native to Mexico, but it can be found throughout the southeastern United States. Unfortunately, in some places, like Florida, it has been declared invasive.

Invasive or not, I love Mexican Petunias — but, then, I love Morning Glories ...

Chinese Tallow Trees ...

Honeysuckle ...

Kudzu ...

And Clover, too!

6 comments:

Dorothy said...

Wonderful pictures! I used to have the Mexican Petunias but lost them when I moved;(
I bet you are just like me, you love anything that blooms, even weeds;)

Merisi said...

I always feel as I have visited Paradise when looking at another beautiful series of your photographs. Excellent work, and so full of poetry!

I am going to ask to most stupid question there is out there: which camera do you use and what lens? Your pictures are truly outstanding, and I am aware it is the person behind the camera that makes the pictures. ;-)

Richard Cottrell said...

I just love Louisiana and am always glad to see a little of it in your beautiful post. Thanks, Richard from my Old Historic House.

RachelD said...

Just lovely, one and all---and I love every one of those inch-take-a-mile beautiful plants. The kudzu arch is just wonderful, and I DO love your talent for capturing such sweet small vignettes as that brash little green fellow stalking the butterfly.

I also love that you can travel so easily between the generations which bracket you in such wonderful family history and happenings and happiness.

I'm the oldest of my immediates, now, and try my best at such a role of honor.

Carolyn said...

I love mexican petunia also. I have the dwarf variety and they are prolific multipliers! I can never capture their color. Your pictures are beautiful!
Carolyn

Deb said...

beautiful....we don't have a lot of flowers left here in Texas...with the heat and drought...