When it is dry as a bone and all the plants seem to be struggling to stay alive, let alone bloom, Ruellia humilis, Hairy Wild Petunia, can still be counted on to give a good show. Get out in the mornings and you can see multiple one inch diameter, tubular, lavender blooms often scattered throughout your yard. Though they can be aggressive enough that they are often considered weedy, they are Missouri natives and worthy of our respect.

Despite its common name Ruellia humilis is not closely related to the domestic petunia. Ruellia humilis is a member of the family Acanthaceae, not Solanaceae as is the domestic petunia.