Other Names:  Star Cluster, Starflower

Group/Class:  Sunstar Series

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

This selection produces large clusters of lavender star shaped flowers sitting atop dark green foliage; Heat tolerant and low maintenance; excellent choice for pollinators; blooms throughout the season; perfect for cut flower arrangements.

Ornamental Features

Sunstar® Lavender Pentas features showy clusters of purple star-shaped flowers with lavender overtones at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its large textured pointy leaves remain forest green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Sunstar® Lavender Pentas is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Sunstar® Lavender Pentas is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Sunstar® Lavender Pentas will grow to be about 22 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Sunstar® Lavender Pentas is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.