As a pollinator magnet , the pentas plant brings butterfly stroke , hummingbird , and bees to your garden .
Pentas(Pentas lanceolata)is one of thebest pollinator - attracting plantsaround . It blooms all summer long , even during the hottest weather stipulation . The magnanimous clusters of starry bloom on pentas are the perfectlanding pad for pollinatorssuch as butterfly , hummingbird , and bees . The heyday come in shades of pink , white , crimson , and lavender .
In a frost - gratis clime , pentas is a perennial . Everywhere else , it is an yearly . It grows well both in the ground and in containers and even as a houseplant if enough light is present .
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Where to Plant Pentas
Pentas isgrown as an annualin most climates but is a perennial in a Robert Frost - destitute area ( USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11 ) . Native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula , pentas plant tolerate raging , humid summer and are keen bedding and container plant . Since bees and boo bed pentas , it ’s anexcellent increase to pollinator gardens , where it mingles well with other pollinator plants , let in salvia and lantana .
How and When to Plant Pentas
flora pentas in the spring when there is no longer anydanger of frost . Give the plant mess of room to grow by keeping plants at least 12 in aside . mildly remove the plant life from its pot and loosen the root chunk . Place the root ball in a hole so the top is even with the hem in filth , then continue the root glob with grunge .
Pentas Care Tips
Overall , pentas is abject - maintenance and easy to uprise in any garden setting .
Light
Ideally , pentas prefers to beplanted in full sun — at least six hr of unmediated sunshine day by day . The plants tolerate partial tad but wo n’t bloom as profusely .
Indoors , pentas call for more light than most homes can provide without supplemental lighting so you ’ll need to instal a grow light .
Soil and Water
Pentas grows best in moist , well - run out soilwith aneutral pH of 7.0 , although it abide slimly acidulent or slightly alkaline experimental condition .
pee pentas on a regular basis until establish ; after that , rain is ordinarily sufficient for these plants . Give them supplemental H2O during ironical spells .
Temperature and Humidity
Pentas is a frost - attender tropical plant life that thrives in strong , humid conditions . The ideal temperature range is between 60 ° F and 90 ° F . Heat is not an issue , but cold temperatures damage or belt down the plant .
Fertilizer
To keep pentas anthesis , give it a monthly dose ofbalanced liquid fertilizersuch as a 5 - 5 - 5 , follow the ware recording label directions to keep up flower production .
Pruning
Overall , pentas is a neat and compact plant . To encourage fork , give the plants a pinch at the tips when they are unseasoned . keep the plants deadheadedand removing any spend blooms further continuous flowering . If the flora gets too long and woody later in the season , cut overlong stalks back by two - thirds ; it will regenerate itself .
Potting and Repotting Pentas
Pentas grows well in containers filled with good - timber potting mix . Place several plants in a great container with honest drainage . The plant will fill in to allow for an attractive heyday show all summer . rank the container outside where it receives full sun , and water it more regularly than pentas growing in the soil .
Because these works are annuals in most areas , repotting is not necessary .
Pests and Problems
raw pentas change have improved disease resistance , and coney and other critters also allow for them alone . However , spider mites andaphidscan be baffling . Keep an center out for these ( especially in the heat of the summer ) and lave them away with a hose or control them with insecticidal scoop or horticultural vegetable oil if the plague is severe .
How to Propagate Pentas
There are two vulgar methods to pass around pentas , either fromstem cuttingsor seeds .
For stem cutting , remove a 4- to 6 - column inch flowerless stem in the spring . polish off most of the leaves from the top part and dunk the cutting off end inrooting endocrine . Fill a 4 - column inch pot with damp potting mix and introduce the cutting into the soil . Keep it damp and in a shady blank space while the roots develop .
Togrow pentas from seed indoors , begin the unconscious process seven to nine weeks before the last frost to devise for transplant outdoors . utilize a cum starter premix , and do n’t hatch the seed . When seedling emerge in two to three weeks , move them to a location with lot of sunlight all day or use a grow luminousness . Harden off the flora for at least a workweek before moving them alfresco .
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Some pentas varieties , such as the ' Graffiti ' series , are protected by plant letters patent , and theirpropagation in any form is prohibited . Before saving seed or taking cuttings , assure the industrial plant label or the seed parcel .
Types of Pentas
Pentas varieties bloom in color that range from snowy and pale lavender to ping and inscrutable red . Here are some favourite .
‘Butterfly Light Lavender’ Pentas
‘ Butterfly Light Lavender ’ hold lavender - pink flower headway on compact 14 - in - tall plants .
‘Graffiti Bright Red’ Pentas
‘ Graffiti Bright Red ’ bears large clusters of rich - carmine flower on dwarf 12 - inch - tall plant .
‘Graffiti Lipstick’ Pentas
‘ Graffiti Lipstick ’ is adorn by clustering of bright , blushful - pink prime on compact 12 - inch - tall flora .
‘Graffiti Pink’ Pentas
‘ Graffiti Pink ’ yield big heads of pink flowers on 12 - inch - tall works .
‘Graffiti Red Lace’ Pentas
‘ Graffiti Red Lace ’ bears magnanimous heads of carmine flowers with white centers on 1 - foot - tall plants .
‘Graffiti White’ Pentas
‘ Graffiti White ’ bears enceinte flower channelise ofpure - white-hot bloomson 12 - column inch - magniloquent plant .
‘Kaleidoscope Appleblossom’ Pentas
‘ Kaleidoscope Appleblossom ’ show off clusters of soft - pink flowers through the summertime . It grow 18 inches magniloquent .
‘Kaleidoscope Deep Red’ Pentas
‘ Kaleidoscope Deep Red ’ is an especially showy selection that spring up 18 in tall and produces clusters ofrich - crimson flowersall summertime long .
‘Kaleidoscope Pink’ Pentas
‘ Kaleidoscope Pink ’ bears large clusters of mild - pinkish blooms on 18 - inch - marvelous plants .
‘Northern Lights Lavender’ Pentas
‘ Northern Lights Lavender ’ is a great selection that ’s been bred to support cooler temperature . It offer lavender - pinkish flowers on a 4 - foot - magniloquent plant .
Pentas Companion Plants
Lantana
If you have a live , scorched smear , lantanais your answer . This untiring plant not only thrives with footling moisture and in full , unyielding sunlight , but it does so with ease . Lantana is a efflorescence that seems to have it all : It produces an teemingness of brightly colored flower all summertime and fall , and it ’s a magnet for butterfly ( hummingbirds like it , too ) . It ’s easy to grow and a capital choice for containers . In freeze - free climates ( zone 9–11 ) , it ’s a corking recurrent groundcover , as well .
Salvia
Few garden do n’t have a spot to plant asalvia . Whether you have sunshine or shade , a dry garden , or lots of rainfall , there ’s a salvia that you ’ll feel indispensable . All attract hummingbirds , specially the red I , and are great pick for spicy , dry sites where you desire tons of vividness all season . Most salvia do n’t like cool weather condition , so plant them alfresco after all risk of frost has passed .
African Marigold
There ’s nothing insidious aboutAfrican marigold . It ’s a big , flamboyant , colorful punch of coloration for the sunny bottom , border , or orotund container . Most are sensationalistic , orange , or cream . Plants get up to 3 feet tall and grow vast 3 - column inch true puffball bloom , while midget varieties get just 1 human foot tall . The mounded dark green foliage is always clean , fresh , and tidy . Grow them in a ardent , gay place with moist , well - drained filth all summer long .
Frequently Asked Questions
It is possible but tricky to overwinter a fully grown potted pentas indoors , as the works is used to maximum sunlight and warmth outside . These stipulation are difficult to duplicate in most home .
If you find caterpillars feeding on your pentas , those are likely tersa sphinx moth caterpillars . These moths are aboriginal to North America , so they are part of the local ecosystem and not a noxious introduced plague . If the feeding bothers you , rather of treating the works with an insecticide ( and risk killing other pollinators visiting the plant ) , pluck the cat off manually . Note that the adult tersa sphinx moths course on the nectar of pentas .
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Credit: Justin Hancock
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Justin Hancock
Credit: Justin Hancock
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
