Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Shrub
Origin
Africa, Madagascar
South Africa
Types
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
3007
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
9-1
Sunset Zone
21,22
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
-
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
243.84 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
91.44 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Purple, Pink
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Tan
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
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
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Toxic
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
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENTAS
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
Buttonbush
In Hindi
Pentas plant
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Pentas Pflanze
Button Strauch
In French
plante Pentas
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
planta pentas
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
φυτό Pentas
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
planta Pentas
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
Pentas roślin
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
Pentas herba
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Rubiales
Family
Rubiaceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Pentas
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Knoxieae
-
Subfamily
Rubioideae
-
Number of Species
8212
1
27800
👆🏻