Acanthaceae

Carolina wild petunia

Ruellia caroliniensis (J.F.Gmel.) Steud.

Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Ruellia

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Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) — FlowerPhoto: Peyton Phelps, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (1)

English: Carolina wild petunia

Synonyms

Pattersonia caroliniensis J.F.Gmel.
Ruellia caroliniensis var. caroliniensis
Ruellia caroliniensis var. typica Fernald

Flowers

In flower: May to July (from 1,514 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Peyton Phelps, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Becky Dill, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: “Jon Zander, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Bradley Saul, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Tom Field, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Ruellia

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.