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Plants ID'd by Oron as Pentas lanceolata and Aster novi-belgii 'Marie Ballard'

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JTh

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Plants ID'd by Oron as Pentas lanceolata and Aster novi-belgii 'Marie Ballard'
« on: October 07, 2012, 05:58:22 PM »
I need help with the identification of two plants. The first one I got from my neighbour who went back to Germany a couple of days ago (a lot of potted plants are changing hands here as people are coming and going), she bought it from the local market and had no idea what it was, neither have I.  It has very pretty, small pink flowers growing in clusters, a bit like Centranthus, but the flowers are star-shaped.

The second one I discovered growing in a flower bed in front of the house when we arrived here in Halkidiki 10 days ago, I must have planted it last year, but I can’t remember having done so. It looks like a small, filled aster with intensely blue flowers, around 3.5 cm in diameter, it must be a perennial, since I’m sure I did not get it this year.  
« Last Edit: October 08, 2012, 10:52:21 AM by Alisdair »
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.
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oron peri

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Re: Identification of two plants
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2012, 06:27:10 AM »
Jorun,
First is one of the many cultivars of Pentas lanceolata
second is Aster novi-belgii 'Marie Ballard', fantastic color by the way!
« Last Edit: October 08, 2012, 06:34:50 AM by oron peri »
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Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.
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JTh

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Re: Identification of two plants
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2012, 07:50:54 AM »
Great, Oron,  thank you! Yes, the colour of the aster is superb, and the plant looks very healthy, so I can recommend this one. I see that it ultimate height is reached in 2-5 years, so i may look forward to a larger clump in a few years' time.
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.
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JTh

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Re: Identification of two plants
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2012, 08:01:45 AM »
I see that Pentas lanceolata (Egyptian starcluster) is an African perennial/shrub, so the winters are probably too cold for it here, but I’ll plant it anyhow before I leave Greece, I read that it may suffer die back in temperatures below freezing, but usually recovers.
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.
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MikeHardman

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Re: Plants ID'd by Oron as Pentas lanceolata and Aster novi-belgii 'Marie Ballard'
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2012, 04:30:36 PM »
ooo - I like those!
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Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England
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ritamax

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Re: Plants ID'd by Oron as Pentas lanceolata and Aster novi-belgii 'Marie Ballard'
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2012, 11:23:39 AM »
I just saw a flower bed with Pentas lanceolata in Elche, Costa Blanca. I have one in red and it seems to be very uncomplicated, looking the same in any weather.
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Hobbygardener (MGS member) with a rooftop garden in Basel and a garden on heavy clay with sand 600m from seaside in Costa Blanca South (precipitation 300mm), learning to garden waterwise
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