Is Ruellia a good choice for desert landscaping?

Mexican Oregano, Poliomintha maderiensis ‘Lavender Spice’ is a suburb hummingbird plant, and serves as a substitute for oregano in desert herb gardens. The lavender flowers last most of the year. Mexican Oregano prefers afternoon or filtered shade. The eastern side of your home or underneath a native shade tree makes an ideal growing situation.Red Salvia is a desert perennial that takes cold and heat quite well. It does appreciate afternoon shade, so plant either on the east side of your home, or under the canopy of one of our desert trees, such as the mesquite. Red Salvia comes in other colors besides red. Look for pink, salmon pink and white flowered species. View the list »
Penstemon is one of hummingbirds favorite flowers, and if you want to attract hummers to your landscaping, opting for planting several Penstemon species is a much better idea than feeding hummers sugar water, which ornithologists worry becomes additive, just like sugar is addictive to humans. Nectar is far more nutritious.

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If you have noticed a plant in Tucson and Green Valley nurseries called Ruellia, you might be wondering if this is a good choice for your desert landscaping. It depends on your expectations, and which variety you are considering.

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Ruellia brittoniana comes in different colors. The common flower color is purple, but there is a pink and white species also available. These are all higher water use plants, and need care to look their best. Although root hardy to 15 degrees, that translates to the top being frost tender, and this plant will suffer frost damage in cold winters that will need removing. Consequently, especially in the colder areas of Green Valley, this plant looks ratty during the winter months.

Another Ruellia species, called Desert Ruellia, is only hardy to 25 degrees, so is not suitable for the Tucson and Green Valley areas.

Instead of buying a fussy plant, it makes sense to choose one with far less problems. The Penstemon species is a reliable wildflower, and with so many to choose from you can have hummingbird flowers from late winter to early summer. Also consider other perennials such as Red Salvia and Mexican Oregano, both which flower nearly 9 months out of the year and are cold hardy.

View the list
  • Penstemon is one of hummingbirds favorite flowers, and if you want to attract hummers to your landscaping, opting for planting several Penstemon species is a much better idea than feeding hummers sugar water, which ornithologists worry becomes additive, just like sugar is addictive to humans. Nectar is far more nutritious.
  • Red Salvia is a desert perennial that takes cold and heat quite well. It does appreciate afternoon shade, so plant either on the east side of your home, or under the canopy of one of our desert trees, such as the mesquite. Red Salvia comes in other colors besides red. Look for pink, salmon pink and white flowered species. 
  • Mexican Oregano, Poliomintha maderiensis ‘Lavender Spice’ is a suburb hummingbird plant, and serves as a substitute for oregano in desert herb gardens. The lavender flowers last most of the year. Mexican Oregano prefers afternoon or filtered shade. The eastern side of your home or underneath a native shade tree makes an ideal growing situation.
View the list

, Tucson Gardening Examiner

This author has lived in Arizona since 1972 and has been gardening for more than 28 years. A landscape architect and certified arborist, Linda teaches classes for everyone in desert plant care for Green Valley Recreation, and provides services in landscape design. Contact her at Linda...

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