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Carolina Wild-petunia

Ruellia caroliniensis

Found in dry to moist forests and woodlands. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

51
Strong

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
1–3 feet
Spread
6 inches–1 foot
Light
Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial

Not yet recorded · Leaves · Bloom

Bloom: recorded only in the FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) phone app (app page).

Leaves: no source found yet.

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 62 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 104 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Ruellia

  • Junonia coeniaCommon Buckeye
  • Anartia jatrophaeWhite Peacock
  • Anthanassa frisiaCuban Crescent
  • Anthanassa texanaTexan Crescent
  • Junonia neildiMangrove Buckeye
  • Junonia zonalisCaribbean Buckeye, Tropical Buckeye, Florida Buckeye, Smoky Buckeye
  • Siproeta stelenesMalachite
  • Tripudia paraplesiaX
  • Tripudia rectangulaWild Petunia Seed Moth, Rectangular Tripudia
  • Hileithia aplicalis
Show all 11
  • Hileithia differentialis
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
13BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Ruellia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Acanthaceae
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Blue or purple

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Carolina Wild Petunia

Conservation status

Florida rankS5
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources