Home
Garden Plants


About Basil and Pentas


About Pentas and Basil


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Annual and Perennial  

Type
Herbs  
Broadleaf Evergreen  

Origin
Europe, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia  
Africa, Madagascar  

Types
Holy basil-  
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii  

Number of Varieties
160  
99+
300  
28

Habitat
-  
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands  

USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11  
10-15  

AHS Heat Zone
11-1  
-  

Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  
21,22  

Habit
Clump-Forming  
-  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
15.20 cm  
99+
243.84 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
15.20 cm  
99+
91.44 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
White, Light Pink, Lavender  
White, Red, Purple, Pink  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
-  
Tan  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple, Bronze  
Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple, Bronze  
Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple, Bronze  
Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green  
Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Oval  
Egg-shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer, Fall  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Very Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Loam  

The pH of Soil
Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall  
Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Container, Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Transplanting  
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Low  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply  
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Don't prune in the fall, Prune regularly  
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Prune in spring, Prune in summer, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove hanging branches  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts  

Pests and Diseases
Red blotch  
Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Yes  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
-  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
No  

Attracts
-  
Butterflies, Hummingbirds  

Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
Beautification, Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders, Vomiting  
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis  

Part of Plant Used
Leaves  
Flowers, Leaves, Root  

Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice  
Used as Ornamental plant  

Used As Indoor Plant
Yes  
Insignificant  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border  
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
OCIMUM basilicum 'Napoletano'  
PENTAS  

Common Name
Basil  
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster  

In Hindi
तुलसी  
Pentas plant  

In German
Basilikum  
Pentas Pflanze  

In French
basilic  
plante Pentas  

In Spanish
albahaca  
planta pentas  

In Greek
βασιλικός  
φυτό Pentas  

In Portuguese
manjericão  
planta Pentas  

In Polish
bazylia  
Pentas roślin  

In Latin
ocimum  
Pentas herba  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Tracheophyta  
Vascular plant  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Lamiales  
Gentianales  

Family
Lamiaceae  
Rubiaceae  

Genus
Ocimum  
Pentas  

Clade
Asterids  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
Knoxieae  

Subfamily
-  
Rubioideae  

Number of Species
150  
99+
82  
99+

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Basil and Pentas

Wondering what are the properties of Basil and Pentas? We provide you with everything About Basil and Pentas. Basil doesn't have thorns and Pentas doesn't have thorns. Also Basil does not have fragrant flowers. Basil has allergic reactions like Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash and Vomiting and Pentas has allergic reactions like Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash and Vomiting. Compare all the properties and characteristics of these two plants. Find out which of these plant can be used as indoor plant. If you are interested to decorate your house and garden, find out aesthetic uses, compare them and select the plant which will beautify your surrounding. Along with beautification, try comparing medicinal and edible uses of Basil and Pentas and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

Compare List of Herbs

Season and Care of Basil and Pentas

Season and care of Basil and Pentas is important to know. While considering everything about Basil and Pentas Care, growing season is an essential factor. Basil season is Summer and Fall and Pentas season is Summer and Fall. The type of soil for Basil is Loam, Sand and for Pentas is Loam while the PH of soil for Basil is Neutral and for Pentas is Acidic, Neutral.

Basil and Pentas Physical Information

Basil and Pentas physical information is very important for comparison. Basil height is 15.20 cm and width 15.20 cm whereas Pentas height is 243.84 cm and width 91.44 cm. The color specification of Basil and Pentas are as follows:

Care of Basil and Pentas

Care of Basil and Pentas include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Basil pruning is done Don't prune in the fall and Prune regularly and Pentas pruning is done Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Prune in spring, Prune in summer, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves and Remove hanging branches. In summer Basil needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Pentas needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.

List of Herbs

List of Herbs

» More List of Herbs

Compare List of Herbs

» More Compare List of Herbs