HOW TO GROW and CARE FOR LANTANA

Pruning lantana: When grown as a perennial shrub, lantana will develop woody growth. In early spring, cut out any dead or diseased branches and prune plants back by up to a third of their size to stimulate new growth.

Lantana – The Ultimate Growing Guide from Proven Winners ®

This festive flowering shrub blooms nonstop for months, adding long-lasting color to the landscape.

Buy lantana plants – Order online and have them shipped right to your door

There are few plants that give more bang for their buck than lantana. Related to verbena, this flowering shrub can be grown as a perennial in frost-free zones or as an annual in colder climates. Lantana is a workhorse in the landscape, with clusters of tiny flowers that bloom continuously from planting until frost, or nearly year-round in regions where it grows as a perennial. Lantana colors include pink, orange, red, yellow, lavender and white, occurring in single, bicolor or multicolor patterns.

Native to tropical regions of the Americas and South Africa, lantana plant thrives in hot, dry conditions, adding bright color to beds, borders and containers. The flowers attract pollinators such as butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Here’s how to grow and use lantana in your yard.

PLANTING LANTANA

How to plant: When planting lantana, wait until all danger of frost is past and the soil has warmed up. Grow lantana in a sunny site that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Follow these steps and space plants 1 to 6 feet apart, depending on the variety and whether you are growing lantana as an annual or perennial shrub.

1. Loosen the soil in the planting area. Dig a hole slightly wider and deeper than the root ball.
2. Remove the lantana plant from its nursery container and gently tease out roots if potbound.
3. Set the plant in the hole with the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil.
4. Backfill the hole with soil, tamp down slightly to remove air pockets and water well.
5. Keep plants watered regularly until established.

LANTANA PLANT CARE

Soil: Lantana prefer rich, well-draining soil. For lantana in pots, use a high quality all-purpose potting mix. Make sure containers have adequate drainage holes.

Watering: Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. Lantana is drought tolerant once established. Water when the top 2 inches of soil is dry, and more often in extreme heat or dry spells. Containers will need more frequent watering.

Fertilizing: Apply a balanced granular fertilizer at the time of planting. For containers, which leach out nutrients more quickly, use a balanced water-soluble fertilizer once a month. Avoid over-fertilizing, which can result in fewer blooms and weak growth.

Pruning lantana: When grown as a perennial shrub, lantana will develop woody growth. In early spring, cut out any dead or diseased branches and prune plants back by up to a third of their size to stimulate new growth.

How to deadhead lantana: Seed-producing lantana plants will benefit from deadheading to promote more flowering and prevent plants from going to seed. Cut off spent flowers as soon as they finish blooming.

How to make lantana bushy: Lightly prune stem tips to encourage more branching and flower buds and lightly shape as needed.

TRY THESE PROVEN WINNERS ® VARIETIES

Lantana comes in different flower colors, plant sizes and growth habits. Try these lantana varieties in your landscape:

Luscious ® Citrus Blend ™ (Lantana camara) produces sweetly fragrant flowers in vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. Plants can reach 20 to 30 inches tall and wide in a single season. Use this bushy variety in borders and mass plantings.

Luscious ® Berry Blend ™ (Lantana camara) is a vigorous grower with flowers in warm tropical hues of yellow, orange and coral-pink. The upright spreading habit is versatile in beds, borders and mass plantings.

Luscious ® Royale Red Zone ™ (Lantana camara) is a red lantana that produces tightly packed clusters of brilliant orange-red blooms with occasional orange and yellow florets. The compact mounding habit is suitable for containers and mass plantings. Plants are sterile, so are noninvasive in hotter climates.

Luscious ® Royale Piña Colada ™ (Lantana camara) is a yellow and white lantana named for the pineapple yellow and coconut white flowers that add sunny color to the landscape. Dark green foliage has a citrusy scent. The compact mounding habit is versatile in containers, beds and mass plantings. Plants are especially heat tolerant.

Luscious ® Grape (Lantana montevidensis) is a trailing lantana with bright lavender-purple flowers that pair well with many other flowers colors. Plant this trailing variety as a spiller element in containers, hanging baskets or window boxes. Mass purple lantana as a ground cover along a slope or allow to cascade over a rock wall.

Luscious ® Pinkberry Blend ™ (Lantana camara) blooms in appealing tones of pink, yellow and creamy white. Flowers have a light, sweet fragrance. Plant this mounding variety in containers or use for edging beds and borders.

Luscious ® Royale Lemon Tart ™ (Lantana camara) is a yellow lantana with rich lemony flowers that pair well with complementary hues of purple and blue. Plants produce few seeds, so are not invasive in hotter climates. The compact bushy habit is versatile in containers, beds and mass plantings.

Luscious ® Basket Tangelo ™ (Lantana camara) is great in hanging baskets due to its shorter stature. Just one plant fill the basket quite well and bloom like crazy. The colorful combination of peach, orange and yellow will cheer you up in an instant.

LANTANA FAQ’s

Is lantana a perennial?

Lantana is a perennial shrub in USDA zones 9-11. In colder regions, treat lantana as an annual or overwinter indoors.

Does lantana grow fast?

In optimal conditions, lantana grows quickly. Plants can be trimmed back as needed to promote branching and control growth.

Is lantana easy to grow?

When given the right growing conditions of full sun, fertile soil and regular water, lantana is an easy-care plant, even for beginner gardeners.

Do lantanas come back every year?

In frost-free regions, lantana planted outdoors comes back from year to year. In colder climates, lantana can be treated as an annual or overwintered indoors.

Is lantana poisonous?

All parts of lantana plant are toxic to pets and children. Leaves can cause skin irritation. The berries are the most poisonous part of the plant and can be deadly if ingested.

Why is lantana a problem?

Lantana can be invasive in warmer regions including parts of California, Florida, Texas and Hawaii. Cut off spent lantana flower heads to prevent seeds from forming and spreading.

Where is the best place to plant lantana?

Provide a site that receives full sun and has good soil drainage. Provide good air circulation to prevent powdery mildew and other diseases.

Does lantana need full sun?

Lantana performs best in a sunny location that receives 6 to 8 hours of full sun per day.

Do deer eat lantana?

The leaves of lantana have a pungent scent and rough texture that deer find distasteful.

Do hummingbirds like lantana?

The colorful flowers of lantana are highly attractive to hummingbirds as well as many beneficial insects.

LANTANA LANDSCAPING TIPS

There are many ways to display lantana in your landscape. Here are some ideas:

• In warmer regions, use lantana perennial shrubs in foundation plantings, as hedging, in mixed borders or mass plantings.
• Plant a container with a smaller lantana specimen in combination with other warm-season annuals with similar growing needs.
• Mass a lantana ground cover variety along a slope or in a border.
• Create a lantana hanging basket using a mounding or trailing variety by itself or in combination with other plants.
• Use a mounding type of lantana in a bed or container as a filler element in combination with a thriller plant such as an ornamental grass and trailing plants such as sweet potato vine or lobelia for a “thriller, filler, spiller” effect.
• Plant a butterfly garden using lantana and other plants that butterflies love such as pentas, ageratum and phlox.
• Mass lantana in a border with other colorful heat-tolerant plants such as coleus, ornamental grasses, cleome and petunias for months of continuous color.
• Feature a larger variety as a stand-alone focal point in a bed or container to make a statement.
• Use a mounding or ground cover lantana variety to edge a pathway or mixed border.

LANTANA COMPANION PLANTS

Combine lantana and other plants with similar cultural needs of full sun, rich well-draining soil and regular water.

For hanging baskets and window boxes, plant an upright or mounding lantana variety with:

For beds and borders, mass a ground cover or mounding lantana variety alongside:

For containers, use an upright or mounding variety as a filler element in combination with:

HOW TO GROW and CARE FOR LANTANA

Luscious® Royale Cosmo lantana. Photo by Proven Winners.

Nothing beats lantana for nonstop color throughout the growing season. The cheerful flower clusters—in a rainbow of single and multi-hues—bloom nonstop from late spring through frost, and nearly year-round in warmer climates. Known for its carefree nature, lantana is grown as an annual in northern regions, and a broadleaf evergreen shrub or ground cover in frost-free climates. The flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and insect pollinators.

A member of the verbena family, it is native to tropical regions of the Americas and South Africa. Though there are 150 different species, those most widely available to home gardeners are Lantana camara and modern hybrids. Also known as Spanish flag, lantana thrives in hot, dry weather and is tolerant of salt and sandy soil, making it a popular choice for seaside landscapes. These same attributes are what allow it to become invasive in some areas.

• LANTANA BASICS
• PLANTING LANTANA
• LANTANA CARE AND MAINTENANCE
• HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT LANTANA
• LANTANA VARIETIES
• LANDSCAPING TIPS

BASICS

Hardiness Zones:

Annual in Zones 1-8, perennial in Zones 9-11. Some varieties act as a tender perennial in Zones 7-8.

Height/Spread:

Lantana can reach 2 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 10 feet wide when grown as a perennial. In areas where treated as an annual, lantana grow 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide in a single season.

Exposure:

Full sun for at least 6 to 8 hours a day.

Bloom time:

Late spring through frost when treated as an annual; nearly year-round in frost-free regions.

Flowers:

Flower clusters 1 to 2 inches across are solid or multicolored, some changing as they age. Colors include yellow, orange, red, purple, white, coral, and peach. Non-sterile varieties produce small berries after flowering.

Foliage:

Green or variegated foliage is rough textured, oval shaped, and can get up to four inches long. When brushed up against, the leaves have a pungent, sage-like scent. Young annuals have fleshy stems, while older plants become woody.

Toxicity:

Lantana can be harmful to children, pets, and livestock. The leaves can cause brief skin irritation or a rash. Though all parts of the plant are poisonous, the berries are the most toxic, and can be fatal if ingested. See more Common Poisonous Plants for Dogs and Cats.

PLANTING LANTANA

With so many colors in one plant, Luscious® Citrus Blend™ brings variation to a container even when planted alone. Photo by Proven Winners.

When to plant:

Lantana loves heat and will do best when planted in mid-late spring when all danger of frost is past, after the soil has warmed up.

Where to plant:

In a sunny site with fertile, well-draining soil that will stay evenly moist until plants are established.

Planting in beds and borders:

Loosen soil and amend with compost. Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball and place so the top of the crown is level with the soil surface. Remove plant from container and gently tease out roots if potbound. Place the plant in the hole and backfill. Tamp down soil around the base and water well. Mulch with coarse organic matter or gravel (keeping away from the crown of the plant) to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

Planting in containers:

Use a high-quality potting soil and make sure the soil and pots drain well. Read more: Growing Lantana in Pots.

Spacing:

Depends on the variety and whether it’s being grown as an annual or perennial.

LANTANA CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Pruning lantana:

Where grown as a perennial, plants will become woody shrubs or groundcovers. In early spring, cut out dead wood and prune back by a third to stimulate new growth. As an annual, lightly prune to shape as needed or if it outgrows a space. Pinch stem tips to encourage branching and flower production.

Deadheading:

Some require deadheading to encourage new flowers and prevent berries from forming. However, plants in the Luscious® series from Proven Winners have little to no berry set and are unlikely to set any seed. They also do not require deadheading to continue blooming prolifically, although doing so won’t hurt them.

Overwintering:

In colder climates, plants can be overwintered indoors in a cool room or basement. In marginal regions, some varieties can overwinter in the ground. Mulch with several inches of fallen leaves or other organic matter to insulate the roots after plants die back in fall.

Soil:

Lantana is tolerant of most soil types, but prefers rich, well-draining soil that is slightly acidic. Mulch with pine needles to increase soil acidity.

Amendments and fertilizer:

It’s not necessary to fertilize established plants, but a light dose of all-purpose fertilizer can be applied in spring. Too much fertilizer can actually reduce the amount of flowers.

Watering:

Water regularly until plants are established. Mature specimens prefer less water and are quite drought tolerant. Irrigate once or twice weekly in dry climates or extreme heat, especially if grown in containers.

Diseases and pests:

When planted in ideal conditions, lantana is relatively carefree. Too much shade, lack of air circulation, or high humidity can cause plants to develop powdery mildew or botrytis. Poor soil drainage can result in root rot. Insect problems include whiteflies, aphids, spider mites, mealybugsand lace bugs.

Deer resistance:

Because of the sandpapery texture and pungent scent of lantana leaves, deer will avoid lantana, though extreme conditions can result in deer grazing on plants they wouldn’t otherwise.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT LANTANA

For beds and borders:

Grow upright forms in a mixed border, or as hedging along a pathway. Use groundcover types to quickly fill in a bed.

For containers:

Plant smaller upright varieties as a stand-alone accent, or as filler in combination with other summer blooming annuals. Trailing lantanas can be used in hanging baskets and window boxes.

For slopes and hillsides:

Use spreading types as a quick-growing groundcover and for erosion control.

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