Yes, many of us do, Mary, and I only buy the old fashioned/taller growing types - the newer/shorter growing types don't attract butterflies or hummingbirds. I guess whatever process was used to produce short pentas killed their nectar producing ability.
Pentas are also a favorite host plant for tersa sphinx moths, so you might find some interesting looking caterpillars on yours - they have a horn on the rear.
Sherry

They are harder and harder to find but until this nasty cold winter, mine had bloomed continously, year round for at least 8 years! Many are not dead but will have to come back from the base of the plant. It made my heart sink to see all the blooms and leaves just turn black and drop off. Some of mine were over 6ft tall since we seldom trimmed then. The butterflies and hummers used them as well as the bees. Just hoping the place that grew the ones I got will have some this spring. The guy was from an area hit even harder than us.

Hi, Mary. I normally get the red color of Pentas lanceolata, too, but last year also got one called Ruby Glow. The hummers loved it.

They do attract Tersa sphinx moth caterpillars because it is a host for them. And, they can pretty much consume all the foliage. I don't get them every single year, but about once every 3 or 4 years here in OKC. I love to raise them because they are so unique. Here's a photo of the caterpillar in the 5th instar where it has turned brown. Before that, they are usually green.

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Cute little feller isn't he?

Susan

Where do you get the older and how do you know for sure that it is the right one?

The new cultivars usually have a name, like 'New Look' as I recall. Also, if there is a label on the plant that says the eventual height of the pentas will be 18" or so, it's not what you want.
Sherry

Susan,

I adore that little guy! Thank you for sharing this information with us. I didn't realize the Pentas were host plants and I'm delighted to find out otherwise. You know, after I put the up potted Pentas in the greenhouse last fall, I discovered a small green caterpillar crawling around among the plants. I'd never seen one like it and didn't know what to do so just left it there, thinking it had come in on one of the plants. I wonder if that was one of these little Tersa sphinx moth caterpillars that had come in on the Pentas? I'm trying to raise the redring milkweed plants and I remember someone saying something about a type of moth that eats the blooms. Need to double check on the name of the moth so I can try and protect the milkweed blooms if this is the same little moth.

Thank you so much for posting the photo; it's so helpful.

tdr4 ... I see Sherry has already replied to your question about the difference between the old and new varieties. I learned something new, too, as I'd no idea the old fashioned Pentas could grow so tall. Flower buds are developing on all of my Pentas, original and cuttings, and I see the first little Pentas seed has germinated so I'm a happy camper. I've read the seed is slow to grow, taking about 16 weeks to plant out. Will see how it goes with the seed this spring.

Mary

Mary, I attached a link reflecting the range of the Tersa which includes most all of Florida. Hopefully you will see them. They lay hundreds of eggs, but most are not viable. Enough are, so you should get a number of the caterpillars.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Tersa Sphinx

Susan,

My thanks for the very informative link. I learn so much from everyone here. The page has been bookmarked for future reference and I will be watching for these little guys this summer. So happy I took cuttings and purchased Pentas seed as this plant may see double duty this summer!

Something else I should clarify. I earllier referred to this plant as an annual. I've since discovered it is actually a tender perennial and only treated as an annual in zones where frost and freezing occur. So much to learn, so little time. :-)

Mary

Mary, you're so welcome! Keep us posted on how you do with your seed of Pentas. I would love to try them one day from seed. I guess I always just thought it was easier to buy the plants.

Susan

Susan, I surely will. Another little Pentas seed is up, making two that have germinated so far. The seedlings are oh so tiny.

I'd rather purchase the plants too, but the only ones I've seen locally are $4.00 each in 3" pots, so thought I should figure out a backup for producing extra plants. Rooting them appears to be fairly easy, too, so that's another way to gain more plants. Now that I know I can overwinter them, I'll take quite a few cuttings this summer from the these plants. In fact, that was one reason I purchased the close out Pentas last fall, thinking I'd like to try and take cuttings and then see if all would overwinter in my first year with a personal greenhouse.

The cuttings I kept inside this winter, as I didn't even have the mother plants until mid fall. I suspect cuttings taken earlier in the summer would have a chance to become well rooted before fall, then could be moved into the greenhouse come late fall.

I'm loving this plant!

Mary

Hmmm.. I have had no problem starting them from cuttings, but they (from cuttings or from the nursery) never live very long. Would love to see them growing six feet Mary!!

Maybe I'll test the soil one of these days.

I did find some Tersa Sphinx cats on my pentas last summer. What a surprise!! They were huge and unexpected! I'd have never seen them though because they were green and camouflaged, but I noticed the tops of some pentas missing and went in for a closer look...

They are voracious cats, aren't they? But, so fun to raise.

Susan

Well of course they aren't six feet now! I think about half of ours will come back but it will be a long time before we see that size again. I am hoping to find them at some of the local plant sales soon. DH says the name of ours is Ruby Red but I am not sure if that is true or not. I do know that the leaves were not as dark green as the ones you find in the big box stores, less purpleish color to them. Also, the center of the flowers weren't whitish. Anyway, if I can dig out an old picture of when they were huge, I will post it.

Mary, mine was named 'Ruby Glow'; wonder if they're the same?

Oh, to see it get six feet tall! Wow! Mine only get about 2' tall in pots or the ground. I guess I just don't have a long enough growing season for them here.

Susan

As Susan said, the Pentas lanceolata is the old-fashioned penta that attracts butterflies and hummers. There are different colors. The Tersas really liked my pink ones

Sandy

Allegedly red pentas are most attractive to butterflies.

I just heard from some other horticulurists that the Dwarf Pentas are not good nectar producers except for the red and white flowering varieties. I want to find some of the old fashion varieties that were mentioned. Does anyone have a source that could recommend? Thanks.

Walmart nearly always has pentas in their first spring shipment of plants, so I usually just buy mine there. Before I put them in my cart, I check to make SURE there's no cultivar name, like New Look. I tried New Look pentas one year, and the butterflies ignored them - never again.
Almost Eden is a mail-order nursery in Louisiana that has numerous colors of pentas, and their prices (including shipping prices) are very reasonable. I've ordered pentas from them and the plants have always grown beautifully - last year I ordered some rose colored ones from them, because Walmart never carries that color.
Unless you're in south Florida, chances are you don't need shorter growing pentas like 'New Look' anyway. They're very cold sensitive, and they've never come back for me, even in springs after very mild winters, where we only had one or two very mild freezes - most people have to start over with them every year. Mine usually only grow about 3' or 4' tall, never the full 8' or 9' you hear about in south Florida.
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Sherry

I've only seen plants for the newer dwarf varieties around here. Last season I started plants from seed for a dwarf variety and the plants were ignored by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. I live pretty close to Longwood Gardens here in PA and they always have a spectacular display of pentas that get swarmed with butterflies. It's just amazing to see that many butterflies in one place without being in an enclosure. There pentas was around 4 feet tall and purple in color. I would love to find seed in a tall red or purple variety, but where do you find them? I only see sellers with the dwarf varieties.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden

I found out on the Longwood Gardens website that the variety they grow, that is always swarming in butterflies, is called, "Longwood Pink". I contacted them, but they don't sell seeds for it. They said I should search online, but they are the only ones that mention that variety.

I'm also having a tough time finding seeds to the taller pentas. I see nothing but new dwarf varieties on sale. I've never seen pentas sold in our Walmart. Lowes sells the dwarf varieties from time to time, but the butterflies seem to ignore them. Any suggestions on where to buy seeds for the tall pentas? I really like the pink...red would be my second choice. Right now, I'll buy almost any color if I can find it. Thanks.
Kim