I just couldn't do without Pentas in my garden. I've had at least one shrub in every garden I've had the joy to tend. They are, without a doubt, THE most reliable, fuss-free, sun and heat hardy, great looking shrubs for any tropical garden.
I have quite a few varieties and I'm afraid I don't know the cultivar names for any of them! Many were pass-alongs and those I bought as little plug seedlings were not labelled with anything other than 'Pentas'.
These fabulous little evergreen shrubs will grow to around a metre in height and here in the northern tropical areas of Australia, they flower reliably all year round.
The flowers are star-shaped and bloom in little bunches all over the plant. In fact, one of their common names is the Star Cluster plant.
Despite being known as 'Pentas', which implies that the flowers have five petals, you will notice that there are six-petalled blooms occasionally thrown into the mix.
They come in the most amazing array of colours ... pinks, lavender, purple, white, red. I have quite a few different colours and I'm always on the lookout for newer varieties.
I like mixing colours that are not considered great combinations ... the results are quite lovely sometimes.
My favourite combination of Pentas colours, however, is definitely the stark white and the deep red. They are a perfect match.
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These are such nice little flowers and I thought they only had white ones, haha. You've got a lovely variety of colours there Bernie and the combinations are beautiful. I had a white one in Cairns, but somehow it died after profound flowering, just dried up I think, even though it got plenty of water. In the end I had no more patience with it and pulled it out.
ReplyDeleteDo you keep them after their flowering season, or are they annuals? Do you prune them? Yours look so healthy.
Evening Marguerite. Gosh you were quick off the mark, lol! I find the Pentas don't like a lot of water, preferring to stay a little dry which certainly suits the conditions here for most of the year. They will survive our wet season as well, as long as they're in a spot that drains easily.
ReplyDeleteThese have been established for years now, and I do give them a light trim back nearly every month and then a good cut back just before our 'wet' season. They need a trim as they do tend to get rather leggy.
You always have the best shots.
ReplyDeleteI love your variety of pentas. I've had them before, but lost them along the way.
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening in your lush bit of paradise.
FlowerLady
Your pentas are beautiful. I had really good luck with the Pentas last year and will definitely buy them again for my deck pots.
ReplyDeletespectacular collection of Pentas! I've never seen variegated foliage on pentas before. Your photos are beautiful! I also like your header. What's that flower?
ReplyDeleteYour Pentas are lovely, marvelous that they survive year 'round for you.
ReplyDeleteI planted out my white pentas this week that I held over during the winter. Butterflies seem to prefer the reds and pinks and fuchsias. They're a bit behind but coming on. On occasion they will return in the spring but rarely so we take cuttings.
This flower is very nice. It has so many different colors of the flowers and leaves are also of different shades of green. I'd planted it in my garden. Yours
ReplyDeleteYou have quite an extensive collection! They look beautiful and healthy with lots of blooms. Your garden looks so colorful and lush, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers! To my remembrance, I've not seen these before. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Your header photo is wonderful!
Gorgeous!
ReplyDeletePlease come see my flower, have a great week ahead.
Thanks Bernie for the reply. I will check if they would survive here, they are so cute.
ReplyDeleteNot warm enough yet here for the Pentas. I do love them being the butterfly magnets that they are.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful to have plants that can be relied on! These blossoms are so bright and cheerful.
ReplyDeleteWow - evergreen and bloom year round! Here, they are pretty much annuals. Yours are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour variegated red pentas is beautiful! I love the green green leaves of pentas also. They stay the same even when it rains much.
ReplyDeletealoha,
ReplyDeletei'm a big fan of these also, they are so effortless - the variegated ones you have there are gorgeous!
Pentas were once in my One Hundred Collection Club, unfortunately, they could not handle the heat and ocean breeze in Santurce..
ReplyDeleteNice post.
Star cluster or pentas is very common here, however they are so beautiful in your garden. And you have a lot of colors even the variegated is there, beautiful. Maybe because we are drier here ours is not as vigorous. Do you know i try to cut the spent clusters so they will look better because old umbels make it look old. I envy your location.
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie; The Pentas are truly wonderful. I agree with you, I love the Pentas too. So easy to maintain and also to propagate. From time to time a mutation pops up. I grow many white ones, red, purple and a pink mutation which I cherish. Hope your garden is slowly recovering, such a shame about the broken trees which can not be replaced so quickly.
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie, I was researching pentas (thinking of getting some for my garden) and I landed up here. Your wonderful photos convinced me :)
ReplyDelete