Dwarf Mexican Petunia, or Ruellia brittoniana, and sometimes known as Dwarf Ruellia, is a hardy flowering ground cover. The leaves are similar in appearance to grass, and the pastel-colored flowers cluster at their centers. These beautiful border plants add a sunny bit of beauty to gardens and will even attract butterflies. They're a natural for hot, sunny climates and any gardener who wants a low plant with maximum impact.
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How To Grow A Dwarf Petunia
Dwarf Petunias are a perfect plant for both garden beds and containers indoors or out, as long as it has a bright sunny spot. They flower in white, purple, and pink and look beautiful clustered together in a variety of colors. As for where to plant them, consider along borders and in spaces where larger plants won't overshadow them.
They are a low plant, reaching a maximum of 10" in height and about the same amount of spread. They'll fill in quickly over a garden season and will send off leggy shoots that may need to be cut back if you want to keep their mound-like appearance and keep them flowering.
As for growing, your dwarf petunia likes sunlight. It will tolerate a little shade but does best in full sunlight, and that's how you'll keep blooms going all season long. Best suited for zones 8-11 in the US, this plant will die back at first frost. You'll want to prune it back and clean off the dead bits before spring to give it the best spurt of spring growth.
It's pretty amicable as far as moisture, tolerating some dry conditions, but it will need its feet wet if you want the most bloom for your buck. Consider adding some peat moss to the hole when you transfer plants to your garden to help the soil hang onto any moisture from rain. As for fertilizing, think about doing it once in the spring and once in later summer with a good quality controlled-release fertilizer for petunias.
Click here to see this fertilizer on Amazon.
How To Plant Your Mexican Dwarf Petunia
If you're growing your Dwarf Petunia from seed, you'll want to plant it in moist, well-drained soil and place 1-2 seeds in each small cup or pot. Germination will take place in 7-10 days.
If you're planting Dwarf Petunia plants, dig a hole in your chosen spot or container, add a bit of peat hummus, then place your plant. Then top it off with some good potting soil and water well. Once it's had a day or two to settle into its garden spot, fertilize.
Dwarf Mexican Petunia Plant Gallery
1. Dwarf Ruella Has A Lovely Little Shape
Dwarf Petunia has a lovely mounded quality that looks beautiful when planted along borders in your garden.
2. Flowers Bloom All Season
Its beautiful flowers will bloom all season if placed in direct sunlight. Pink is one of the common colors available in this low-lying plant.
3. Use As A Unique Walkway With Flagstone
Here, Dwarf Petunia has been planted between flagstones making a unique and beautiful garden border with stunning purple flowers. It has incredible eye appeal.
4. Use It Along The Edge of A Mulched Garden Bed
This well-behaved plant doesn't spread like its larger sibling and is easy to keep within the borders of a well-mulched landscape bed.
5. It's Perfect Along The Sidewalk
With its grasslike leaves and sunny flowers, the mounded dwarf Petunia looks super along a city sidewalk. Here it provides a happy low cousin to its taller shrub counterparts.
6. Blends Beautifully With Other Blooming Plants
The gorgeous purple flowers and rich green leaves of Dwarf Petunia look beautiful with other summer flowering plants. It's a perfect addition to cottage type gardens.
7. Tidy and Gorgeous In An Edged Bed
Because of the rounded nature, Dwarf Petunia looks beautiful as the solo plant star in this metal-trimmed contemporary garden bed.
8. Dwarf Petunias Will Reseed
Though not as invasive as its taller cousin, Dwarf Mexican Petunia will send out seeds that can wind up in your lawn or other spots in your garden. But because it's so beautiful, maybe that's okay with you.
9. Use It Around Garden Fixtures For Filler
Because Dwarf Petunia is so hardy and easy to grow, why not consider using it in areas where you may want to hide a garden hose or plant some adorable garden sculpture. The flowers draw your eye away from any mechanical necessities hiding in your flower beds.
10. Use It As Texture In The Garden
Here Dwarf Ruellia is used beneath the yucca as an element of texture in the garden. Other purple toned flowers will give the garden a beautiful cohesion of hues of purple and green.
11. Perfect For The Base Of A Column Or Mailbox
Consider using Dwarf Ruellia in conjunction with climbing plants at the base of a mailbox or column on your home. It's the perfect base for a climbing flowering vine.
12. The Flowers Come In Creamy White
Dwarf Petunia not only comes in delicate purple and pink but is also available in a lovely creamy white variety, as seen here.
As your Dwarf Ruellia grows and multiplies by seeding, you can dig some up to share with friends and neighbors. Because it's so hardy, it handles the transplant very well.
14. Pair With Hostas And Hibiscus
Another example of the Dwarf Mexican Petunia's natural ability as a texturing element in a gorgeous layered garden. Here it looks perfect next to variegated hostas, hibiscus in pink, and stone mulch and decorative elements.
15. Use In A Container Garden
Consider using Dwarf Mexican Petunia as the low plant in a gorgeous container garden. Here we see it on its way toward summer blooms, but the dark green spikes of its leaves look beautiful on their merit.
Where To Buy This Plant Online
Dwarf Mexican Petunia Seeds
If you'd like to start from seed, try these out. These heirloom seeds are non-GMO and packaged from the current yard for maximum germination ability.
Click here to see these on Amazon.
Dwarf Mexican Petunia Live Plants
For two well-rooted Dwarf Ruellias in the softest pink, this pair may work for you. Plants are freshly dug on the day of shipping and packaged well to make the trek to your front door.
Click here to see these on Amazon.
If you love the subtle beauty of a white flower, this plant is shipped singly in a 4" pot. Each plant is an economical starter size, and no bloom or bud will be evident upon delivery. But no worries, once you pop this beauty in the ground and let the sun warm her face, she'll spring into action for your garden.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
Soil Additive For Moisture Retention
Add a bit of this peat humus, and your soil will hold 50% more moisture giving your young plants a leg up for the growing season.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
We're so glad you stopped by GardenTabs.com to check out our post on Dwarf Mexican Petunias. There may be a few other posts on our site that you'll find helpful. We've linked a few below that we think are perfect.
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