Named for physician and botanist Jean Ruel, whose translation of Dioscorides, Materia medica, written in 65 AD, became the basis for modern pharmaceutical and herbal writing
Carolina wild petunia is a North American native found in the southeastern United States. It prefers
sandy uplands, flatwoods, hammocks, and open woods. Although these flowers resemble petunias,
they aren’t related to petunias at all. They can also be confused with Mexican petunias,
a larger and very aggressive invasive species.
Plants: 1-2½′ (30-76 cm) high, and 9-24″ (22-60 cm) around.
Flowers: Purple or lavender, with a slender corolla (throat)
and five overlapping petals. The throat is very deep, about the same as the flower’s diameter. They appear from late spring to early fall.
Fruits: Oval seed capsules, each with about 5 seeds,
form at the bases of the flowers, turning brown before exploding to release the seeds.