Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Fruit
Origin
Africa, Madagascar
Southeastern Asia
Types
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
Citrus hystrix
Number of Varieties
3001
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
Deep, gardens, old gardens, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-8
Sunset Zone
21,22
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
-
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
243.84 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
91.44 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Purple, Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Yellow, Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
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 Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Water Deeply
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
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
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Thinning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
Apply N-P-K, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Armored scales, Fomes root rot, Mites, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Heat And Humidity
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis
Blood purifier, Digestion problems, Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Making Shampoo, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PENTAS
CITRUS hystrix
Common Name
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
Kaffir Lime, Makrut
In Hindi
Pentas plant
काफ़िर लाइम
In German
Pentas Pflanze
Kaffernlimette
In French
plante Pentas
combava
In Spanish
planta pentas
cafre
In Greek
φυτό Pentas
Καφρός Lime
In Portuguese
planta Pentas
Kaffir Lime
In Polish
Pentas roślin
kaffir wapno
In Latin
Pentas herba
Cafres Lime
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Sapindales
Family
Rubiaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Pentas
Citrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Knoxieae
-
Subfamily
Rubioideae
-
Number of Species
82400
1
27800
👆🏻