Minnieroot (Ruellia tuberosa)

After you finish reading this, you will be able to:

• Identify Minnieroot or Popping Pod.
• Know the habitat of Popping Pod.
• Know the best cultural and chemical options to control Minnieroot or Popping Pod.

Minnieroot also known as Feverroot and Popping Pod, is a small biennial plant with thick finger-like tuberous roots and striking funnel-shaped violet-coloured flowers

Category: Broadleaf (Dicot)

Flower: Flowers purple to blue.

Height: It can grow to a height of up to 50 cm, but is usually around 20 cm tall..

Leaf length: The simple leaves are opposite, and egg-shaped with blades 30 – 60 mm long.

Leaf width: Leaves are 15 – 25 mm wide.

Reproduction: The fruit of Minnieroot is a 2 cm (0.8 in) long sessile capsule, that contains about 20 seeds. It reproduces by seeds and tubers.

Comments: The hairy stem has 4 sides, and longitudinal ridges. It has several cigar-shaped glands visible on both sides of the leaf blade.

Habitat: Minnieroot is found in moist and shady areas. It grows preferably in grasslands and roadsides, and is often a weed in farmland.

For more information on weeds check out our weed ID Chart.

There are limited chemical options for this weed, so a combination of cultural and chemical control is the best approach. Regular mowing, or cutting the plants back by hand. Then  carefully dispose of the vegetation offsite, so that it cannot regrow.

This is a long term approach, as you will only destroy the top part of the plant, You will need to repeat this process to use its energy stores and delete its  food reserves.