Ruellia (ruellia squarrosa)

You can find this wonderful, purple-flowering perennial from Japan in several flower beds right behind the carriage house on our premises.

The genus Ruellia consists of about 250 species of herbs and shrubs mostly in Tropical America, Africa and Asia. The name is in honor of Jean de la Ruelle, a 16th century French physician and botanist. R. squarrosa, a name not recognized botanically, is used to describe an otherwise unidentified member of the genus with bright blue flowers and creeping habit. This plant is grown in Southern Florida as a ground cover or rock garden plant.