Japanese name: ヤナギバルイラソウ Scientific name:Ruellia simplex
[Overview]
A perennial 90–100 cm tall.
The stem is erect.
The leaves are simple and opposite, linear to lanceolate, 10–30 cm long and 1–2 cm wide, with purplish veins.
The leaf margins are serrated.
The flowers are borne at the tips of flower stalks extending from the leaf axils; they are pale bluish purple and funnel-shaped, about 5 cm across, with the tip divided into 5 nearly equal lobes.
The fruit is a rod-shaped capsule 2.5 cm long, which bursts open when ripe to release the seeds.
[History]
In Japan it was brought to Okinawa around 1974, and has since become naturalized, mainly in warm regions.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It also spreads readily from self-sown seed.
It can overwinter outdoors in areas west of the Kanto region where frost does not fall.
In a sunny, well-drained place it is not particular about soil and is easy to grow.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
