Pentas
Pentas lanceolata
Pentas blooms from May through October.
Mature size, 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.
Growing Pentas
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 10–11. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
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: for the middle of its range, start with zone 10 in January.
Comes in 5 varieties across 3 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Pentas
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
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 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
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 3.3 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 4.9 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; purple sits close to pink on the wheel.
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.
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.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; echoes the pink.
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.
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