Ruellia humilis
wild petunia
 
Wild petunia, is a low, tidy little bloomer. From early summer into fall it opens soft lavender-blue, trumpet-shaped flowers that seem to appear fresh each morning, a small daily gift for pollinators and gardeners alike. It hugs the ground in a mounding habit, rarely topping a foot and a half, which makes it a natural fit for the front of a border, a rock garden, or a dry, sunny slope where taller natives would flop. It thrives in lean, well-drained soil and shrugs off heat and drought once established, asking for very little in return for months of color.
 
One note for our customers: Ruellia humilis is native to much of the central and eastern United States, but its range only brushes the edges of southern New England, so we consider it a near-native here rather than a true native. It's a wonderful garden plant and plays well with regional ecosystems, but if straight native provenance matters for your project, it's worth keeping that distinction in mind.
 
photo by Alvesgaspar