Ruellia tuberosa

Menow Weed, Minnieroot, Snapdragon Root, Cracker plant

Message of the Flower

Krishna's Light in the Vital

The Mother’s Comment

The light that turns the vital towards the Truth.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

At last I find a meaning of soul's birth Into this universe terrible and sweet, I who have felt the hungry heart of earth Aspiring beyond heaven to Krishna's feet.

I have seen the beauty of immortal eyes, And heard the passion of the Lover's flute, And known a deathless ecstasy's surprise And sorrow in my heart for ever mute.

Nearer and nearer now the music draws, Life shudders with a strange felicity; All Nature is a wide enamoured pause Hoping her lord to touch, to clasp, to be.

For this one moment lived the ages past; The world now throbs fulfilled in me at last.

Sri Aurobindo, Collected Poems: Krishna

All music is only the sound of His laughter, All beauty the smile of His passionate bliss; Our lives are His heart-beats, our rapture the bridal Of Radha and Krishna, our love is their kiss.

Sri Aurobindo, Collected Poems: Who

Colour

Pale purple

Family

Acanthaceae

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

About 1 to 2 inches in length

Flower Texture

Smooth

Number of Petals

Five

Floral Symmetry

Bilateral

Fragrance of Flower

Mildly fragrant

Leaf Texture

Smooth

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite

Leaf Color

Green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous perennial

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Summer to early autumn

Climate

Tropical and subtropical climates

Water Requirements

Moderate; tolerates occasional flooding

Soil Type

Prefers well-drained soil; tolerant of a variety

Temperature Ranges

Thrives in warm conditions; not frost-tolerant

Sun or Shade

Prefers full sun to partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Susceptible to root rot in overly wet conditions; pests include aphids and spider mites

Pollinators

Susceptible to root rot in overly wet conditions; pests include aphids and spider mites

Habitat

Native to the Caribbean, South America, and Central America; naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides nectar for pollinators

Ornamental

Popular as a garden plant for its flowers and as a groundcover

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Sometimes used in traditional medicine

Endangered Status

Not considered endangered; widespread and common in suitable climates

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