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Botanical name: Ruellia elegans ‘Ragin’ Cajun’
This variety is quite adaptable, tolerating full or partial sun and moist to dry conditions in any kind of soil; vivid red flowers massed above mounded green foliage all season; excellent in containers, or as a low border front.
Other names: Wild Petunia, False Petunia
| Hardiness zone | 7a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | red |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | mounded |
| Mature height | 18 inches |
| Spread | 18 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | dry to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Ragin' Cajun® Hardy Petunia has masses of beautiful spikes of red trumpet-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its oval leaves remain green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Ragin' Cajun® Hardy Petunia is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
Self-Seeding
Ragin' Cajun® Hardy Petunia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Ragin' Cajun® Hardy Petunia will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Ragin' Cajun® Hardy Petunia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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