How to Grow Ruttya - Planting & Caring

By Sharon & Team   /   Herbaceous Category   /   2023

Ruttya, also known as the Madagascar periwinkle, is a beautiful and easy-to-grow plant that originates from Madagascar. It is a popular plant for both indoor and outdoor gardens and is known for its pretty flowers and glossy green leaves. Ruttya is a fast-growing plant and can reach up to 1.5 meters in height.

How to Grow Ruttya - Planting & Caring

Growing Easiness

Is it easy to grow Ruttya plant? If you are looking for an easy-to-grow plant, the Ruttya plant is a good choice. This member of the Acanthus family is native to South Africa and is a low, spreading plant that is often used as a ground cover. It has dark green leaves and small, white flowers that appear in the spring. The Ruttya plant is not particular about soil type and will even grow in poor, sandy soil. It is drought tolerant and does not need a lot of water to survive. This plant can be propagated from seed or cuttings and is an easy plant to care for.

Plant Size

How big can it be? Unless you want a very small Ruttya plant, expect it to grow to be about 40-60 cm tall when you keep it at home. If you want it to remain that size, you'll need to do some periodic pruning. Out in nature, Ruttya plants can grow to be 1.8 m tall.

Growth Rate

How fast is the growth? The Ruttya plant is a small, woody shrub that typically reaches a height of between 2 and 3 meters. The leaves of the Ruttya plant are small and oval-shaped, and the plant produces small, white flowers. The Ruttya plant is native to Africa, and it is found in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Ruttya plant is used in traditional medicine, and it is also grown as an ornamental plant.

Ruttya Basic Knowledge

Plant Form Herbaceous
Family Acanthaceae
Origin Africa (Ethiopia), South of the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen)

Lifespan, Perennial or Annuals

How long is the lifespan? The Ruttya plant is a perennial, meaning it will live for more than two years. This plant is a fast grower and can reach up to six feet in height. It has green, heart-shaped leaves and produces yellow, tubular flowers. The Ruttya is native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia and prefers warm, humid climates.

Ideal Temperature

What is the ideal temperature? When kept as a houseplant, Ruttya should have a room temperature of 77-82.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and no lower than 59 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. If kept in a warm location with sufficient light, the plant may bloom during the winter.

Humidity

What about the humidity? Common ruttya (Ruttya pumila) is a low-growing plant that reaches a maximum height of 10 cm (4 in). It is a member of the borage family (Boraginaceae), which also includes forget-me-nots (Myosotis spp.), heliotrope (Heliotropium spp.), and lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.). The plant has a fibrous root system and produces numerous erect, unbranched stems. The leaves are opposite, lance-shaped, and measure 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) in length. They are hairy on the upper surface and have a network of veins visible on the lower surface. The flowers are borne in clusters at the tips of the stems. Each flower has five blue or violet petals and five yellow stamens. The flowers are 2.5–3.5 cm (1–1.4 in) in diameter and are pollinated by bees. The fruit is a dry, one-seeded capsule.

Light Requirement

What amount of light this plant needed? So, it's best to give the plant bright scattered light, like what you'd find on an east- or west-facing window. If the light is too low, the plant will stretch out, and its blooms will be weak or it may not bloom at all. On the other hand, if the light is too intense, the Ruttya will quickly lose its leaves, and its flowers will die.

Soil Composition

What is good soil for Ruttya? The ideal soil mix for Ruttya plant is a loose air permeable substrate that is made up of equal parts of garden land, leaf land, coarse sand or perlite and peat. This mix allows the roots of the plant to breathe while providing adequate drainage to prevent the plant from becoming water-logged.

Watering Time

How much I must water Ruttya? The reason you water a Ruttya plant more in the summer is because the upper layers of the soil dry out. If you keep the plant in a cool place in the winter, you should reduce the amount of water, but you don't want to let the soil dry out completely.

Fertilizing and Nutritient

About fertilizer. The Ruttya is a flowering plant that blooms in a range of colors including white, pink, and purple. The Ruttya is native to Madagascar and South Africa. The Ruttya grows best in full sun and requires well-drained soil. The Ruttya is a low-maintenance plant and is relatively drought-tolerant. During the growth period, a complex fertilizer is applied approximately every 2 weeks. During flowering, fertilizing is applied for flowering plants.

Reproduction

How to reproduce Ruttya? known for its ease of vegetative propagation, Rutten can be grown from cuttings taken from the plant and placed in water for 1-3 weeks until roots form. The plant can also be propagated from seeds, which should be lightly sprinkled with a mixture of peat and sand. Seedlings will appear in the dark; after they have germinated, put the bowl on the light.

Bloom

Why Ruttya won't bloom? So, the flowers last about a week. Rutten, grown from cuttings taken from the earlier flowering plants bloom the following year. Ruttya if you use seed reproduction, then flowering will come in 3-4 years.

Caring The Ruttya

How to care the plant? While the Ruttya plant is a beautiful and unique addition to any home, it does require some specific care in order to thrive. For example, it is advisable to transplant the Ruttya annually, as the root system grows. Additionally, a transplant is necessary when the roots are shown from the drainage hole. Furthermore, the plant needs constant pruning, as it easily loses its shape and stretches out. However, with proper care, you can grow and as an ampel, twisting the shoots around any support.

Pests & Challenges

What is the challenge when caring Ruttya plant? Although it is resistant to pests, there are spider mites and mealy worm affects it. The leaves of the plant will turn yellow due to insufficient or excessive moisture. The plant will quickly stretch in low light. With age, the lower leaves will fall off and the stem will be bare. This is an inevitable process that will require pruning shoots. The root system can rot when grown in too heavy soil and excess moisture.

Toxic & Poisonous Type

Are Ruttya poisonous? Since all parts of the Ruttya plant are poisonous, it is advisable not to grow them in areas where small children and pets play. The plant can cause rashes and other skin irritations. Ingestion of the plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and convulsions.