A Weed In Your Lawn or A Gift In A Drought

Wild Petunia/Ruellia humilis is abloom in the midst of our hot, dry, drought ridden summer. The wonderful and amazing thing is that it's not just blooming, it's thriving and in the most inhospitable of all my gardening conditions~morning shade and blazing afternoon sun.

talk about inhospitable~it's growing up through a crack in the asphalt

It is one of a handful of nearly perfect drought tolerant native plants that are happy in a Middle Tennessee garden this long, hot, dry summer. The hairy stems and foliage are a natural defense against dry conditions. Can you say tough! This is one tough plant.

The nectar guides aren't showing, but the flower is perfect for pollinators

If you're lucky enough to have this cutie patootie in your garden, you may have noticed how very much it resembles ornamental petunia! Ruellia humilis is not a petunia. It's a native wildflower that looks its best in the hottest, driest spots in your garden. It's also, a perfect flower for Bumble Bees and other pollinators.

• it's chock full of nectar,
• has a tubular shape,
• has a landing pad, 
• is open during the day, 
• is brightly colored, and 
• just in case they are needed, it has the coolest nectar guides.

So,  you ask, "What does this fantastic wildflower have to do with weeds in a lawn?"

I'm glad you asked! While you and I see a blanket of lavender flowers humming with bee activity,  lawn aficionados often see wildflowers like Ruellia, Salvia lyrata and Western Daisy as weeds in their turf. Weeds that need to be stamped out in order to have a uniform green space.

I'm working hard to change this belief! I've been sharing information about the under appreciated beauties growing right under our noses with good friends and neighbors. I tell them that Wild Petunia loves the hot blazing sun and needs no special care all summer long; that the nectar rich flowers provide food for native pollinators from May through October; and, that they will never, ever, ever have to fertilize a lawn that is populated with wildflowers, native grasses and sedges.

Ruellia humilis with the pushy Susans

I remind them, ever so gently, that native wildflowers like Wild Petunia and other pretties, are built for our climate and can survive better than ornamentals and other non-native plants.  I show them how beautiful they look in the perennial border and how nicely they play with the intense orange of Asclepias tuberosa, the lavender pinks of the Echinaceas and that they are never mown over by Practically Perfect Pink Phlox Pilosa's exuberance.

After that, it's up to them to decide if it's a weed in their lawn/garden or a gift in a drought.

xoxogail

The facts: Zone 4 to 8; Dry, sunny areas; sprawling growth, will grow in  rock gardens, containers, borders, lawns; Pollinator magnet (Bees and Hummers) and host to Buckeye Butterfly caterpillar;  native to most states East of the Rockies

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.