Bloomipedia
Hairy ruellia (Ruellia humilis)
Photo: Chris Stahl via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Hairy ruellia

Ruellia humilis

Hairy ruellia (Ruellia humilis) is a flowering plant in the Acanthaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Hairy ruellia is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

25states where USDA records it
4Bloomipedia state lists include it
10,374U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma

Quick look

Ruellia humilis is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to the eastern United States. It is grown as an ornamental plant.

  • It belongs to the Acanthaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 25 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. NatureServe
  • In Missouri, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2.6 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 1,227 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #51 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 778 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #21 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 708 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #64 among the 170 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (933 records)
Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
MissouriNativeJune–August1,227
KansasNativefew records (30)778
Arkansas–May–August708
OklahomaNativefew records (43)610

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe has no Arkansas rank for it.
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MD (S1), MI (S1), NC (S1), PA (S1), SC (S1), WI (S2), WV (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records hairy ruellia in 25 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, DeKalb, Dent, Douglas, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Howell, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Webster, Worth, Wright.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Ellsworth, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Hot Spring, Izard, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Miller, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Scott, Sebastian, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Union, Washington, Yell.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Hairy ruellia a low shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.5 to 7.5 and winter lows down to -33 °F.

Shade tolerance
Low
Drought tolerance
Medium
Moisture use
Low
Soil textures it is adapted to
coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range
4.5 to 7.5
Minimum temperature tolerated
-33 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
160
Annual precipitation range
20 to 55 inches
Minimum root depth
4 inches
Salinity tolerance
None
Fertility requirement
Low
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
Short
Active growth period
Summer
Fruit or seed
Yellow · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by
container, seed
Commercial availability
No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for RUHU. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 623 counties across 22 states; the most are in Missouri (100), Illinois (89), Texas (61).

Other Ruellia on Bloomipedia (3): Carolina ruellia, Mexican ruellia, Common wild petunia.

More from the Acanthaceae family (12 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): American water-willow, Chuparosa, Black mangrove, Chinese violet, Thurber's desert honeysuckle, Coral creeper, Sweet clockvine, Squirrel's tail.

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Sources