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Botanical name: Rondeletia leucophylla
Penta-like clusters of tightly packed, purplish-pink tubular flowers rise up in late winter and early spring; may rebloom on well established plants; releases sweet fragrance at night; a great choice for patio containers.
Other names: Pink Bush Penta
| Hardiness zone | 9a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | pink |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | round |
| Mature height | 5 feet |
| Spread | 5 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Panama Rose features showy clusters of fragrant pink tubular flowers at the ends of the branches from late winter to late spring, which emerge from distinctive red flower buds. It has dark green foliage throughout the season. The glossy narrow leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Panama Rose is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Panama Rose is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Rock/Alpine Gardens, General Garden Use, Container Planting, Hanging Baskets
Panama Rose will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.
This shrub 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 is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings.
Panama Rose makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its height, it is often used 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 grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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