Flower profile
Mexican ruellia
Ruellia simplex
Mexican ruellia is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–November.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Ruellia simplex, the Mexican petunia, Mexican bluebell, Britton's wild petunia, or Purple showers, is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae that is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America.
- It belongs to the Acanthaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. USDA PLANTS
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–November. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,150 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #95 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 419 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #88 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
Mexican ruellia gift ideas
Handmade mexican ruellia gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Mexican ruellia art print
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Mexican ruellia greeting card
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Mexican ruellia mug
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Mexican ruellia earrings
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Mexican ruellia embroidery pattern
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Mexican ruellia sticker
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- Florida
- Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). FAC 5B-40.0055
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records Mexican ruellia in 8 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas.
Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Escambia, Franklin, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Avoyelles, Caddo, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Rapides, St. Charles, St. Tammany, Terrebonne.
More Florida flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RUCA19.
- iNaturalist, Ruellia simplex: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Ruellia simplex (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Alex Abair via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.