Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Flowering Plants
Origin
Africa, Madagascar
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
-
Number of Varieties
30040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
9-1
Sunset Zone
21,22
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
-
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
243.84 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
91.44 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Purple, Pink
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
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
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
PENTAS
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Pentas plant
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Pentas Pflanze
Kracher penstemon
In French
plante Pentas
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
planta pentas
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
φυτό Pentas
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
planta Pentas
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Pentas roślin
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Pentas herba
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Gentianales
Lamiales
Family
Rubiaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Pentas
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Knoxieae
-
Subfamily
Rubioideae
-
Number of Species
82250
1
27800
👆🏻