Please help ID hanging basket from K-Mart

Does anyone know what kind of flower this is. Its a hanging basket, but I dont know what of. Does it need sun or shade. Its not doing real great where I have it- hanging on my front porch- pretty shady. Could I plant it in the ground? Thanks for any help. I've been so busy in my yard. I'm addicted to it. I cant stop. Sometimes working 10 hours streach. It's not that my yard is so big, I'm so slow. I have to carry an oxygen bottle with me. Also does anyone have problems with flys biting them. Is there any solution. Ive used misquito spray, but nothing seems to work. Its mainly my legs and ankles they like to bite. I'm going to try to attach a picture, its my first time so if you see it, I did it. I'm anxious to start writing in my diary, but I just havent had time. I see it only took a picture of the leaf which is no help and I dont know how to add the flowers, so I'll send another thread with the picture. I'll be glad when I learn how to use this site!

I'm going to try to put in the picture of the flower now.

For the first time, I am able to ID a plant! The excitement may be too much for me! This is pentas, a WONDERFUL plant that can take full sun to half shade and is spectacular no matter how hot it gets. Just keep the spent blooms picked off, and FERTILIZE it every few weeks. In about 6 weeks, shear it back about 1/2 and it will come back GANGBUSTERS.

Yes, you can take it out of the basket and plant it in the ground. Be careful to meet its watering needs.

DP

Thank you DP. It sounds like a wonderful plant. I'm so happy. I just got in about an hour ago, it got dark. I'm so excited, tomorrow I am going to plant it in the ground. I have several empty spots. I hope to get the last of my cosmo seeds planted tomorrow, too. I'm pretty late but there's so much to do. You said as long as I water it properly. Is there something special. What are its water needs?

Pentas come in white, violet, several pinks, a couple of reds........as I said, they can take extreme heat and sun and yet will bloom in filtered shade also- they are gross feeders- when they slow down producing flowers, that is prob. a sign they need fertilizer. They will bloom until your first freeze. You asked specifically about watering them. No plant (other than bog or pond plants!) should be overwatered, but if pentas (the s is part of the name) are in full sun, or the temp. is very high, or both, for very long, they will begin to wilt. It's important to watch for this and to water them before they reach the point of no return. If they are in the ground and not in containers this is less of a "danger." If you will remove the spent blooms (that's called deadheading) the plants will not only look more tidy but it will encourage them to bloom even more. At some point they will become lanky. Here that is in the middle of the summer. As much as it will hurt you, shear them back 1/3 to 1/2. They will look ragged for a short time, but will put on new growth and bloom their heads off until cold weather. They are strictly annuals. Forget trying to keep them over the winter. Have fun!

DP