• Image of Ruellia 'Black Beauty' taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by JLBG
    Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by JLBG
  • Image of Ruellia 'Black Beauty' taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by JLBG
    Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by JLBG
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Ruellia 'Black Beauty'

Black Beauty Ruellia

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

Shop Available Ruellia

Item #: 3918

Zones: 7a to 8b, at least

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 10" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: United States Hybrid

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Ruellia 'Black Beauty' is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and asked about plants in rock gardening circles. It only took a decade of searching to finally acquire it in 2010. Ruellia 'Black Beauty' first appeared in the 1990s in the Maryland garden of the late Alexej (Sasha) Borkovec as a probable hybrid of Ruellia ciliosa. In the garden, the winter deciduous Ruellia 'Black Beauty' makes a 10" tall x 18" wide clump of dark black thumb-shaped leaves. Starting for us in mid-June and continuing through August, the clumps are topped with 2" mauvy lavender flowers...what a stunner! Cuttings are nearly impossible to find due to the excess flowering. We grow Ruellia 'Black Beauty' in the full sun rock garden for best foliage color.

Watch our Plant Spotlight video for more information.