Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Africa, Madagascar
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
Lagenaria siceraria
Habitat
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
5-7
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
Flower Color
White, Red, Purple, Pink
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full 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
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
Insignificant
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
PENTAS
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
Pentas plant
लौकी
In German
Pentas Pflanze
Flaschenkürbis
In French
plante Pentas
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
planta pentas
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
φυτό Pentas
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
planta Pentas
Cabaça
In Polish
Pentas roślin
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
Pentas herba
utrem cucurbita
Phylum
Vascular plant
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Cucurbitales
Family
Rubiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
Rubioideae
Papilionoideae
Importance of Pentas and Bottle Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Pentas and Bottle Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Pentas and Bottle Gourd as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Pentas is Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis and To Treat Lymphadenitis whereas of Bottle Gourd is Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive and Weight loss. Pentas has beauty benefits as follows: while Bottle Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Pentas vs Bottle Gourd
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Pentas vs Bottle Gourd and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Pentas are whereas of Bottle Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma and Irregular Heart Rhythm respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Pentas has no showy fruits and Bottle Gourd has showy fruits. Also Pentas is flowering and Bottle Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Pentas and Bottle Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.