Do you have memory lapses?

How very annoying it is when something that you know the name of, suddenly, is just a blank space in your memory bank. Try as you might that elusive name will not pop back.

It happened. embarrassingly, to me in a previous post. A flower that has been in the garden forever and I do know the name of, really I do… But I forgot it…

I tried Googling “pink perennial flowers” and various combinations. But could not track it down. Then suddenly, amazingly, unexpectedly and without warning the name just surfaced in my mind as I was watering the garden this evening.

And I had that “of course, I knew that” feeling.

Here it is, on the left, in all its glory before the caterpillars stripped it. Then, on the right, the sad-looking plant as the caterpillars munched their way through it.

Before the caterpillars

Ravaged by the caterpillars

It is called Pentas and this is what Wikipedia says about it…

Pentas is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceaefamily. The genus is found in tropical and southern Africa, the Comoros, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula.^[1]

The plants have hairy green leaves and clusters of flowers in shades of red, white, pink, and purple. Pentas are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Some species are commonly cultivated and can be grown in pots and baskets. Species such as Pentas lanceolata can withstand full sunlight and need little to no care, growing even in locations that are dry and hot

Well I am now happy to be able to name this plant. It is a favourite of mine. It is easy care, flowers most of the year, until the caterpillars arrive. Then bounces back after the caterpillars have gone and is so easy to reproduce with cuttings, even self sowing all over the garden.