Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Africa, Madagascar
Central America, Mexico
Types
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Habitat
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
7-8
Sunset Zone
21,22
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, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
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 after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Medicinal Uses
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
Insignificant
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
PENTAS
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Pentas plant
Mousemelon
In German
Pentas Pflanze
Maus Melone
In French
plante Pentas
Mousemelon
In Spanish
planta pentas
Mousemelon
In Greek
φυτό Pentas
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
planta Pentas
melão rato
In Polish
Pentas roślin
mysz melona
In Latin
Pentas herba
mouse melon
Phylum
Vascular plant
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Cucurbitales
Family
Rubiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Knoxieae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Rubioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Pentas and Mouse Melon
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Pentas and Mouse Melon. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Pentas and Mouse Melon 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 Mouse Melon is Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation and Rich in Iron. Pentas has beauty benefits as follows: while Mouse Melon has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Pentas vs Mouse Melon
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 Mouse Melon 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 Mouse Melon have Throat itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Pentas has no showy fruits and Mouse Melon has showy fruits. Also Pentas is flowering and Mouse Melon is not flowering . You can compare Pentas and Mouse Melon facts and facts of other plants too.