PlantFiles: Egyptian Star Cluster, Star Flower, Pentas
Pentas lanceolata

As you can probably tell by my username, I am a lover of Pentas. They were my "must-have" plant when I lived in the DFW TX. area and even now living in north central OK.
I just can't say enough about how easy, beautiful and tolerant these delicate looking flowers are! The hotter and drier the summer gets, the more these beauties seem to thrive. They flower non-stop spring through fall and I never dead-head mine.... It's really not necessary. Full sun is needed for best output.

I have the white Pentas. They bloom often and have bushy green leaves. Little butterflies visit the flowers every day. Not sure how many years this plant lives but I hope they are around for a long time. Would love to get many more of them.

Since I live in a hot area, I added more soft rich soil to the ground when I planted them, so the soil would retain water longer.

very beautiful plant. it seems to be a water lover under my care and can get leggy. i especially like red flowered pentas, they are stunning when paired with white pentas. really dependable if you are looking for constant blooms. i dont really notice the butterflies stopping by them, but the display makes up for that loss.

I have successfully grown the red penta plants for several years in the northern part of Louisiana. They bloom continuously from April through October in our area. No problem surviving during the brutal l00 degree heat wave last summer.

Pentas are one of my most favorite flower in the garden. I've had every color under the sun, but my favorite is the deep red. Pentas will freeze when temperatures are below 32 for too long, however I cut mine down and most will come back, unless too many hours in the twenties. I have some in the ground and some in pots. My pentas usually last anywhere from two to four seasons, they just seem to grow tired after awhile. I did buy one from a local nursery this past year that had mealy bugs on it...I tried to rid them with organic sprays and soaps but eventually had to pull and throw the plant away. Other than the one bought with bugs I've never had a pest problem with them. I've had a few volunteer seedlings come up in unexpected areas and moved them with success to more preferred areas. Cut blooms down to next leaf section after they expire and continues to rebloom all season long. Butterflies love this flower more than any other in my garden; hummers visit them also, along with the big bumble bees. I will never not have Pentas in my garden.

Being a yankee yah, where has this plant been all of my life?

Man, I couldn't get anything to do well down here (like trying marigolds, etc.) since I refuse to water.

These things rocked during our drought conditions this year. No water.

I just planted red pentas all around my yard...they are mainly in full sun. They bloom beautifully and attract butterflies. It has been very hot here this summer - in the 90s every day - so I do have to water them quite a bit. I am in zone 7, middle Tennessee.

A question - mine have a lot of spots on the leaves (white). Any ideas?

my experience w/two pentas plants was, for the first several years (about six) very satisfactory. it's so nice to have plants that bloom year-round.

however, for at least the last six months, the plants (particularly the larger one) produce flowers, but the leaves look droopy. since we're in a climate zone that's mild throughout the year, and no pests seem to gravitate toward pentas, and nothing's changed w/regard to watering or light conditions, i'm at a loss as to what the problem might be.

any suggestions?

After a hard frost what should be done

Have grown several cultivars with great success. They are perennial in SoCal. They turn brown in December and I butcher them back to 6" sticks in every January (same as hybrid tea roses and fuchsias). Hummingbirds and bees love these and they are not bothered by pests in my garden (got tastier plants around). They do require lots of water in Summer, but do not water foliage or it will turn brown and look terrible. Regular deadheading is a must.

I planted my red pentas about January 3 and it froze several times since then. I just used an old bedsheet to cover it, and every time it froze the flowers on the weaker stem dried up but so far they're just amazing. (Winter Haven, FL)

Last summer I had planted Pentas in my garden and they were beautiful! The flowers survived the brutal Texas heat - I was thrilled! So far this spring I do not see the Pentas resurfacing. I live outside of Austin, TX and by other reviews I see that Pentas do return in TX. Can anyone else from the area let me know if I need to wait for the Pentas to return or should I dig them up and plant new ones? The Pentas did experience frost from the winter season so maybe they finished? Any input would be greatly appreciated- Thanks, Sue Kleidon - Howell

Someone mentioned that an "insect defoliated" their penta plant. That is probably the Tersa Sphinx moth caterpillars. These are beautiful sphinx moths and their favorite host plant is penta, especially the red ones.

I grow them especially for the moths.

Susan

I have planted five pentas into my butterfly/hummingbird garden, with success. The only problem is I lost one (no idea why), and this years screwed up winter cycle here in North Florida might do them in. It freezes, warms up for a week, then freezes, etc. etc. The pentas seem not to like this trick too much as they are begining to burn and not recover. Other than that, a must have for any butterfly garden.

Pentas do great here in Houston, but with our zone 9a heat, they can't take as much direct sun. Mine have overwintered in the garden and are about 3 years old now. They are planted in dappled shade with no direct sunlight and bloom practically non stop year round. If they do get singed from a frost, I cut them back and they pop right back.

I have both a red and a pink penta on the southern side of my house, but both receive mostly morning sun. They over-winter well here in Victoria, TX., blooming thru-out the year.

Once established, they tolerate the south Texas heat with no problem, and no insects seem to bother them. A very nice low maintenance shrub. Highly recommended.

This plant does very well here. It takes very little care and the bugs do not bother it much but the butterflies and bees love it.
I do think you will be very happy with it show. It will take some shade but it does like the sun.

Ah just thinking of this plant brings back some memories. When I moved into this house it was the only plant in the whole yard...just one weirdly planted cluster in the middle of the yard. I divided it in February of 2003 and planted it all along a walkway. They flourished for a year and a half...attracting wild butterflies and hummingbirds and providing nectar for my own raised and released butterflies. Then Hurricane Charley came...with its 100+ mph winds it blew over all my bushes. I staked them (since they had gotten over 3 feet tall and had woody stems). Then came Frances and then Jeanne and then I lost about half of them due to all their roots being ripped from them. I moved the rest on the side of the house where they are still blooming and growing...they have about 3 inch diameter trunks now.

I would have to rate this and lantana as the ultimate butterfly and hummingbird attractor in Florida. It's so easy to grow and it provides pretty blooms year round.

This plant just keeps growing and growing and growing in Largo, FL. I am ready to prune it back (again) Pentas do extremely well here. I just love them.

I have the variegated red penta planted in partial sun. Local nursery said it was "rare" and it must be 'cause I haven't seen another one. Blooms all summer, in mild houston weather, it has not died back on me. Just added a regular white penta, hope it does as well as the variegated red.

Pentas grow beautifully in northwest Florida (U.S.), returning every year except after a particulaly cold winter. They thrive in the hot, steamy sun in mostly sandy soil. They are attractive to me and to butterflyies and the funny hummingbird moth.

The bright pink/magenta variety has always out performed the red and violet ones in my yard. Pentas are supposed to be biennials, but I have had the pink/magenta plants faithfully coming back in the spring for over 8 years. Some are located in full sun, others are in partial sun and still others in filtered shade. Those receiving full sun and morning sun, then afternoon filtered sun do the best having more blooms. The red and bright pink/magenta attract butterflies more than the other pentas and more than any other plants in my yard.

I have had problems with an insect eating almost all of the leaves off the plant in one night, but the plant rebounded quickly. Having 108*F temperatures for two days this summer did not slow them down. A tough, reliable, practically carefree plant that seems to love our hot Texas weather, Pentas provide color until the first frost.

Soil pH below 6.2 is bad for Pentas, causing leaf tips to brown. To correct this, my personal choice is colloidal phosphate. The butterflies,humming birds and honey bees love pentas like anything. In brutal Texas (U.S.) heat, Pentas have proven to be a winner.

I grow pentas in eastern North Carolina (U.S.) They are one of my favorite flowers because they bloom all summer long. They over-winter well here with a covering of straw or mulch in the fall. I have plantings in full sun, part sun, and full shade and all plants bloom profusely.

I grow Pentas in the UK is a greenhouse as a nectar plant for tropical butterflies. There is no flower they like better. Propagation is easy by softwood cutting, and seeds can be taken from dried seedheads. Seedlings are tricky to handle at first as they are so small but once they grow a little they are no trouble. Flowering in three months from seed, the plants seem to prefer a peaty soil. They do OK outside in our cool climate grown in pots, but are better under glass.

An excellent perennial in warm weather climates (such as Florida, U.S.)

Easy to grow, but will wilt in full summer sun; the next watering will help it bounce back. No major problems.

Pentas do best in at least four hours of direct sunlight a day, night temperatures of 50° to 65° and day temperatures of 68° or higher. Keep soil moist and fertilize every two weeks. Propagate from stem cuttings at any time.