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Pentas
Pentas lanceolata
Pentas blooms from May through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Pentas
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 10–11. Expect it to reach about 20 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Pentas
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Pentas into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 10, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 10 in January. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Pentas get?
20 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Pentas in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Pentas
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Pentas about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Pentas to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Pentas' height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 3 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPentas lanceolataheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPentas lanceolataheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASPentas lanceolataheight, spread, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 5 varieties across 3 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Pentas group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavender | Purple | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Pentasthis page | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Raspberry | Red | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Red | Red | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Violet | Purple | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| White | White | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
Good to know about Pentas
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Steady moisture in summer heat does double duty: it keeps the nonstop bloom going and eases the dry-weather stress that brings on spider mites, its main pest. per NC State
Size depends on cultivar
Dwarf bedding types stay about 0.3 to 0.5 m tall; the species and taller cultivars reach 0.6 to 1.2 m, up to 1.8 m in frost-free ground. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
How strong for butterflies?
Every extension source calls it a top butterfly plant, but one controlled Florida study of 'Lucky Star' found mostly wasps and modest butterfly visits. per NC State and HortScience
Regarded as non-toxic
Widely grown as a houseplant around pets and children and flagged as poisonous by no extension source; ASPCA does not individually list it either way. per NC State and ASPCA
Deer resistant
Rated seldom damaged by deer and included on deer-resistant plant lists; resistant, not deer-proof, so hungry deer under pressure may still sample it. per NC State and Clemson
Do not shear it
Pinch young plants once for bushiness, but never shear it as a formal hedge: clipping cuts flower production. It needs little deadheading otherwise. per NC State
Flower colors
Cluster colors span red, pink, rose, magenta, lavender or purple, and white, with some newer selections in gold. per University of Florida
What pairs well with Pentas
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Eastern Redbud
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; echoes the pink.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Serviceberry
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its white flowers settle the pink.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.