Life Span
Biennial or Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Europe
Africa, Madagascar
Types
Leaf beet, Seakettle beet, Spinach beet
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
Number of Varieties
6300
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
Sunset Zone
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
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm243.84 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm91.44 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green
White, Red, Purple, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
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
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
Pests and Diseases
Cercospora leaf spot, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Downy mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
dark circles, Diarrhea, Runny nose, Vomiting, wheezing
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Moisturizing, Remove blemishes, Slow downs aging, Speed hair growth
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antitumor, Carminative, Haemostatic, Stomachic, Tonic
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Cultivated for fodder, Eaten as a pot herb, Used to make juice
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETA vulgaris ssp. cicla
PENTAS
Common Name
Swiss Chard
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
In Hindi
Swiss Chard
Pentas plant
In German
Swiss Chard
Pentas Pflanze
In French
Chard suisse
plante Pentas
In Spanish
Acelgas
planta pentas
In Greek
Σέσκουλο
φυτό Pentas
In Portuguese
Acelga suíça
planta Pentas
In Polish
Boćwina
Pentas roślin
In Latin
Swiss Chard
Pentas herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Gentianales
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Rubiaceae
Genus
Beta
Pentas
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Cyclolobeae
Knoxieae
Subfamily
Betoideae
Rubioideae
Number of Species
382
1
27800
👆🏻