You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun Sun to Partial Shade
Danger: N/A
Bloom Color: Magenta (Pink-Purple)
Bloom Time: Blooms all year
Foliage: Herbaceous Veined
Other details: This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds This plant is suitable for growing indoors Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Soil pH requirements: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information: Non-patented
Propagation Methods: From herbaceous stem cuttings
Seed Collecting: N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed
On Jan 28, 2006, Don_Mader from Victoria, TX (Zone 9a) wrote:
My penta is planted at the back of an annual flower garden. It has a southern exposure but is partly shaded. It blooms year round but heaviest from March thru October. Butterflies love it but haven't seen any hummers visiting it tho' I have several hummers that hang around.
Have had no problems with diseases or insects bothering it.
It did well even with the extreme heat through last summer.
I recommend it highly as a great low-maintenance shrub!
On Mar 24, 2005, artcons from Fort Lauderdale, FL (Zone 10b) wrote:
Easy to grow and a very attractive true red flower that butterflies love. However my pet cat liked these plants too. Whenever I would trim them and he was in the yard with me, he would jump into the bushes and rub around on the cut branches. It was just like a catnip reaction.
I have noticed the red variety from HD is not the same as my true red. It's slightly more purple than red and the HD variety does not attract butterflies (I have one of these too.) My new red Pentas was purchased last fall to replace others I lost in the hurricane last year. I had a difficult time finding the true red flower variety that I believe works best to attract butterflies. About two to three days after purchasing the plant, and while it was still in the nursery pot, I noticed caterpillars on the plant. These cats were totally new to me. Comparing them to what I found on the web, I think they were either Azaela Sphinx or Olive Angle Shades. At any rate, they totally devoured the plant in three days. If anybody has these type of cats on their red pentas, please let me know.
Art
Regional...
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Bartow, Florida Big Pine Key, Florida Deltona, Florida Fort Lauderdale, Florida (2 reports) Hollywood, Florida Interlachen, Florida Jacksonville, Florida Newberry, Florida Palm Bay, Florida Palm Coast, Florida Pompano Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Cordele, Georgia Austin, Texas Dallas, Texas Deer Park, Texas Houston, Texas San Antonio, Texas Santa Fe, Texas Victoria, Texas
2 vendors have this plant for sale.
