RUELLIA. The Americas, Africa, Asia. Showy, mostly tropical plants of the acanthus family. A few are hardy enough to be grown in coastal California. They range in habit from low mats to tall, erect shrubs. Attractive, often velvet-textured leaves are paired along the stems. The blossoms vary from narrowly tubular to broadly bell shaped, slightly to markedly irregular. The following are easily grown given sun or light shade, most soils, and moderate watering. Hardiness varies.
brittoniana. An erect 3' semishrub, with rather slender stems and long, narrow, dark green leaves. It blooms much of the year, bearing small clusters of 1½" lavender blossoms at the shoot tips. Reputedly hardy to 20oF or less.
macrantha. A beautiful but somewhat tender shrub, growing erect to around 3' in cultivation. It has stout, bright green stems lined with pairs of slightly darker, pointed-oval 4" leaves. In spring and fall each shoot is tipped by a cluster of 3-4" rose pink blossoms with darker veins, bell shaped but flaring widely at the face. It is best planted in containers and moved under shelter for the winter, or planted in a protected nook against a wall. Ultimately hardy to 20-25o, though the foliage is damaged by even light freezes.