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Pentas lanceolata 'Carnea'

Full Sun

Semi Shade

Lots of Water

Butterfly-Attracting Plant

Ornamental Flowers

Shrub

Plant Growth Form	Shrub

Growth Form	Herbaceous perennial or sub-shrub growing up to 1.3 m tall and 0.6 m wide.
Foliage	Dark green, opposite leaves are narrowly ovate to lanceolate with entire leaf margin (8 - 14 cm long). Leaves are deeply veined and pubescent (hairy).
Flowers	Reddish purple, star-shaped flowers are 5-petalled with a white throat. Large, terminal clusters known as corymbs are composed of about 20 - 40 flowers. This species is free-flowering.

Fruit	Dry, dehiscent fruits are known as capsules (4 - 5 mm long).
Associated Fauna	This cultivar is a butterfly nectar plant.
Cultivation	This fast-growing cultivar is easy to grow. It should be planted in fertile, well-drained soil that is enriched with compost and organic matter to retain soil moisture. Allow the soil to dry slightly before re-watering. This cultivar blooms best when grown in full sun, but it also flowers in shade. This plant is heat tolerant up to Feed plants every month with a balanced fertilizer at half-strength. To propagate by seed, sow the seeds on the soil surface and germination will occur in 5 - 12 days.
Etymology	The genus "Pentas" is derived from a Greek word that means 5 ("pente"). It may refer to the 5-petalled flowers that occur in this genus. The species epithet "lanceolata" refers to the lanceolate (lance-shaped) leaves.

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers
Landscape Uses	Flowerbed / Border, Container Planting
Thematic Landscaping	Butterfly Garden

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna	Butterfly-Attracting (Flower Nectar)

Light Preference	Semi-Shade, Full Sun
Water Preference	Lots of Water
Rootzone Tolerance	Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils

Propagation Method

Seed, Stem Cutting

Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Hairy / Hirsute, Raised / Sunken Veins
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage

Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio

4.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Dicot)

Images

Master ID	1024
Species ID	2318
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.

Species record last updated on: 29 November 2022.

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