The pentas fulfills all those preferences but the fragrance. Planted in loamy, moderately moist soil, a small one-gallon potted plant will turn into a compact, bloom-covered shrub in a single summer.

Pentas prefer full to partial sun -- about 4 to 8 hours of direct sun during a day. Plant transplants about 12-16 inches apart in a well-prepared, raised landscape bed.

Pentas bloom all summer in various shades of red, white, purple, pink and candy stripe. They are easy to establish and easy to grow. Plant them right now in well-drained, well-prepared soil.

For an easy sturdy planting for summer, try a grouping of Pentas lanceolata or star clusters. This plant is extremely heat tolerant and will take living in pots with weekly watering.

However, they are tender — neither vincas nor pentas are able to tolerate freezes without significant damage or death. As winter cold moves in and freezes occur, the plants will be damaged.

Pentas tolerate sun to bright shade and are best in an organically enriched, well-draining soil. June 30, 2007. Kathy Huber. Garden Editor, Houston Chronicle.

Pentas will last throughout the year. Pentas lanceolata, commonly known as penta or star flower, is a perennial flower that can grow into a 3 to 4 ft. shrub, lasting years in the garden.

Pentas (P. lanceolata) is an herbaceous, evergreen shrub that produces clusters of bright flowers in a range of shades year-round. Native to the Arabian Peninsula, Tropical Africa and Madagascar ...

Pentas are flowering workhorses of the garden. GARDENERS get excited about “new’’ plants, but many of us also have a soft spot for the old-fashioned, hard-working plants.