Could you possibly post a pic of it? That would be very helpful.

lets see if this works now with Photobucket

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It looks like tall ruellia to me. Check out the link to see if it matches.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Ruellia brittoniana

I agree, it looks like ruella. It can become quite a garden thug. It spits it seeds far afield and grows from stolens. There is a thread about Garden thugs and ruella and bamboo were decking it out as the most troublesome plants. I got hit in the eye by a flying seed in my garden once.

My purple ruellia does not propagate by seed, only the pink does. The purple spreads by runners underground that will take years to get out..... I have been working in one area for at least ten years now, and occasionally they still pop up. My suggestion to you if you like this plant would be to grow it in a container.

Thanks all. That is it. Mine here has not really spread. It just came back up after it kinda winter died back. But it will bloom all year from start til then.

My mil has purple ones that spring up across wide expanses of concrete from each other. I think she has seen the seeds in the air. We call them popping flowers.

Only my purple Katie ruellia reseeds for me, the tall does not at my house.

RUN AWAY! It all spreads like the weed it is, tall, short, pink, white, I rue the day I planted ruellia.
seeds, runners....grrrrr!
Tally HO!

I aggree with Beachplant. I have been hit in the eye by flying ruella seed. It was the Pink "chi- chi" one. It also spred by stolons and It took over my yard.... Beachplant, I did run away. I moved.

LOL! Chicken! Not that I blame you, that stuff is just dreadful. I hate standing in the yard after it rains and hearing those dang pods snap. GRRRR!
Tally HO!

It is well named "Flowering Bamboo" since like running bamboo it spreads from stolons like crazy and once you have it you have it forever -- unless you move -- that is ... :-)

However, I did read that a non spreading tall purple had been developed in Florida. If it was known to live up to that reputation I'd get it in a second if I could find it for sale here.