Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - June 25, 2012
From: Tucson, AZ
Region: Southwest
Topic: Container Gardens, Propagation, Pruning, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Making Ruellia nudiflora thicker in pot from Tucson AZ
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Can Ruellia Nudiflora be propagated in the same pot as the parent plant? Can it be cut back to stimulate a denser plant? I have plants in several pots and would like to 'thicken' the plant. Thanks for any assistanceANSWER:
Happily, Ruellia nudiflora (Violet ruellia), is native to Arizona, so we can go to our webpage on that plant (by following the plant link above) to get information on propagation, bloom time and care, etc. From the Conditions Comments on that page is this line:
"Cut back after each flush of blossoms to keep compact and blooming all summer."
You can read the Propagation Instructions on that page, although it does not address growing the plant in a pot. If you are confined to pot gardening, you might read our How-To Article on Container Gardening with Native Plants for some more ideas on how to handle plants grown in this manner. If for the impact of a full pot if for no other reason, we believe we would populate each pot with plants that are in the same stage of development. Propagating several small plants in one pot and then transplanting them to a larger pot would probably be more satisfactory than having the new seedlings and established plants sharing space.
More information from Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers.
From the Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Ground cover plants for a shady North Carolina yard
March 20, 2016 - Ground cover erosion control for heavily shaded area in Cary, North Carolina. Current landscapers use strong blowers for leaf control. This blows away any seeds, loose soil and mulch. Tree roots ar...
view the full question and answer
Spriranthes sp. blooming on rocky hilltop
November 13, 2015 - I am not sure if my previous question went thru, so I am submitting it again.
How unusual is it to find a few blooming specimens of Spiranthes sp. on a rocky hilltop west of Loop 360 near Bee Caves R...
view the full question and answer
Cold stratification of Rudbeckcia maxima from Birdeye AR
August 08, 2013 - How long do I cold stratify Rudbeckia maxima seeds that I wild harvested? Can I put them in the freezer instead of fridge?
Do I need to make sure they are completely dry before cold strat?
view the full question and answer
Caterpillars devouring Blue Wild Indigo in Jesup GA
September 05, 2011 - I have a false blue indigo growing in my garden. Every spring it gets defoliated by Genista moth caterpillars. It usually doesn't put out new growth until the next spring. This summer, it has put ...
view the full question and answer
Companion plant for columbine in Summer
February 01, 2009 - Please suggest a companion plant for Texas columbine that will hide them when they are ragged in summer but won't interfere with their seeding out to make new plants.
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |