Growing Old Fashion Heirloom Penta ‘Jessica’ in NE Florida Lansdcapes
( Pentas lanceolata )
https://patents.google.com/patent/USPP7702P/en
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom ‘Jessica’ Origins:
‘Jessica’ was a naturally occurring sport ( (mutation) of the old fashion heirloom Ruby red pentas plant that was discovered by a plantsman while growing a crop of the ruby Pentas. It was selected and patented in 1990 for its bright hot pink coloration difference to the parent plant. According to its patent filing it has slightly longer more pubescent (hairy) leaves and a more vigorous growth habit. I cant say that I find that to be true here in our Northeast Florida landscape. But I do note that it tends to grow quite a bit taller than the sited 2-3 ft that it claims. Mine in my home garden easily reach 4 ft heights each year in summertime.
While Pentas are native to the tropical regions of Africa they are a Florida friendly landscape plant and an excellent addition to any landscape.
I do find them to be equally as hardy as the ruby red and consider them a hardy perennial for our area expecting to get a few years out of them before I need to replace or replant. Additionally I really don’t see any noticeable reduction in the amount of butterfly visitors I get from one to another. I purposefully planted a group of three Ruby red, a group of three hot pink Jessica and a group of three soft pink Starburst in the same bed in my butterfly garden at home to see if they favored one and not another only to happily see the butterflies flutter from one to another to another between colors seemingly uncaring. The plant clusters were each set at 10ft apart so there was space to note special interest but I just didn’t see it. At work they do go to the red more often but I think it may be just that I grow a larger swath of the red so its a bigger attraction from afar. That is not any science but its my own observation trial and that’s all I’ve got!
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom ‘Jessica’ Preferred Exposure:
– Pentas will prefer a full sun or partial shade partial sun location. Morning shade with afternoon sun or morning sun with afternoon shade both seem to preform well for me here in our St. Augustine Florida area.
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom Jessica Foliage:
Dark green herbaceous leaves will go dormant for the winter season after fall flowering is complete if we have a cooler winter where the temperatures drop to under 32 degrees for more than just an hour or two in the early morning. If we have a mild winter these plants may just keep on going right through Christmas and into new years remaining evergreen until spring like they do in Central and South Florida landscapes. Normally areas of Jacksonville like the North side, West side etc. will get enough cold to get them some frost damage during the winter months. Don’t toss them out, leave the burnt looking foliage on till spring as they will regrow quickly when the temperatures rise. Just trim off the damaged stems and leaves after all danger of frost has passed and give them some additional nutrition like a shovelfull of comppst or some slow release fertilizer like osmocote mixrd with Milorganite or chicken manure. ( A little mulch or straw over the base of the plant in the winter season will protect those lower stems and roots from frost damage and have this plant looking great FAST the following spring!)
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom Jessica Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:
– Heirloom Pentas is not particular about the components of the soil it is planted in providing they are planted in a well draining location. Like all heavily flowering plants it takes a lot of nutrition to do all that work so these plants will definately appreciate some amended soil when planting with some nice compost.
– Salt tolerance for Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom is unknown.
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom Jessica hot pink Size Variance and Growth Habit :
– Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom is a tall grower reaching 3-4 ft and a little
higher in the shadier areas of the landscape and a little more compact in direct sun. These heirloom pentas plants tend to be a bit taller than wide but may still reach 2-3 ft in width easily.
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom Growth Rate:
– Fast growing Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom can be expected to reach almost to its full height late in the first season when planted early in the year in our Northeast Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscapes.
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom Water Requirements:
– Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom will require supplemental irrigation for best
results water twice a week once established into the landscape.
Butterfly or Bird Attracting:
– Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom will attract loads of butterflies to your gardens landscape. Hummingbirds will be attracted in particular to the Red selection.
Best Uses For Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St.
Augustine area garden:
– They are a great low maintenance back of the border plant selection with loads of booms with what I consider to be almost no maintenance after planting, although they will benefit from a once a year trim in the middle of summer hurricane season.
– An absolute must for any butterfly garden. Hummingbird attracting!
– Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom makes a great companion plant for other
perennials in the garden and adds an instant cottage garden feel when planted in any landscape.
– Used as a cut flower the blooms will last up to 2 weeks!
Care of Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St.
Augustine area landscape:
– Water every day during the establishment period after planting in the garden from a nursery container, once plants have established themselves into the landscape taper water back to just a weekly application if local rainfall levels are low.
– Dont trim off winter damaged foliage until all danger of frost has passed in the spring. Leave foliage and roots in place for next years growth.
– Fertilize each spring and a gain in mid summer and fall with a handful of
garden compost or a mixture of Milorganite and a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote or Stay Green general purpose plant food
or 10-10-10.
Old Fashion Heirloom Pentas Ruby Glow / Ruby Red
Pentas Old Fashion Heirloom Starburst
Love the Idea of Pentas in your home garden but want something shorter, maybe knee high?
Try the Butterfly Series Pentas
or try ‘Orchid Illusion’ Pentas
Want something shorter than that? Maybe shin high? ok but keep in mind these may be more like annuals in the landscape, in all that dwarf breeding they lost a bit of hardiness, but they still come back on warmer winter years and are still a great plant!
Try the Grafitti Series Pentas
or how about just boot high and not quite the range of colors that the Graffiti series boasts but my favorite for containers…
try the BeeBright Series Pentas