• Penta make a splash of color in your garden when planted in groups.Rosa Pentas image by Kilioa from Fotolia.com
  
  Penta is a flowering plant that is of the same family as coffee and quinine. The name "penta" mean five in Greek and refers to the five lobes found on the flower tube. The plant comes from tropical East Africa and southern Arabia where it grows as a woody shrub. Pentas are known for adapting to any light conditions and for their ability to attract butterflies.
  
  

In Sunny Areas

• Pentas love full sun and will reward the gardener with a 2 to 4 foot stalks bearing loads of colorful flowers. The clusters of flowers are flat-topped and stable, so they may a good landing area for butterflies. Their vivid color is another draw for butterflies. Pentas can be found in white, pink, lavender and red. Propagation can be done from the seeds that dry after flowers bloom. Seedlings require high-light conditions to aid growth. Excess nitrogen will lead to slow root development. Root hormone will encourage healthy root growth in pentas. Pinch cutting in the third week of propagation to promote branching, as recommended by Ecke.com. Use a balanced fertilizer with micronutrietns. Magnesium chlorosis will show as pale leaf veining at time of flowering.
  
  

In Partial Sun

• Though pentas come from tropical areas, they can adapt to low-light conditions well. They may not produce blooms as heavily as in full sun conditions. The University of Arkansas recommends at least six hours of light per day to support flowering. Pentas are grown as annuals in cooler climate, as they cannot tolerate frosts. They can survive as a perennial as far north as North Carolina, according to Botanical-Journeys-Plant-Guides. If a freeze does burn foliage, the plant will recover if you wait till danger of frost has passed and cut it down to 6-inch stocks in the spring. Pentas can be grown in containers to be brought when cold temperatures threaten.
  
  

In Subtropical Climates

• In tropical and subtropical climates, pentas act like a perennial. They are drought-tolerant and withstand the intense heat and sunlight of Florida and Texas. Pentas tolerate a wide range of soil types, according to the University of Florida Extension site, but prefers well-drained soils and regular moisture. Pentas like to be slightly dry between waterings. Overwatering may cause rotting. If used as hedging, flowering capacity will be hurt when clipped. Pentas may need additional watering to prevent wilting. Flowers last three to five days after being cut and brought indoors.