Pentas
Pentas lanceolata
Pentas is a bushy, free-flowering plant with rounded clusters of small star-shaped flowers in red, pink, lilac and white. It flowers for months and is one of the best plants for attracting butterflies.
Photo: Cody Hough · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun, Partial sun
Watering
Moderate
Water when the top of the soil is dry.
Soil
Fertile, well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0.
Temperature and humidity
10–38 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Feed every two to three weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by stem cuttings, seed
Deadhead faded clusters and pinch for bushiness.
Pentas is not toxic to people or pets.
Top Cultivation Tips
Plant in a butterfly garden.
Cuttings root easily.
Compact varieties suit pots.
Yellow leaves can mean the soil is too alkaline.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →PestSpider mites
Tiny sap-sucking mites that thrive in hot, dry conditions, causing speckled, dull leaves and fine webbing.
How to treat it →PestWhiteflies
Small white flying insects that gather under leaves, sucking sap, spreading viruses and leaving sticky honeydew.
How to treat it →
