Lantana is the solution for the hot, dry spots in your garden.
This hardworking plant with colorful flowers thrives with little moisture in full, unyielding sun.
It’s also easy to grow and pollinator-friendly.
Justin Hancock.
Flowers generally start as a light color, and then darken with age.
Lantana is toxic to pets.
Lantana is also perfect for planters and window boxes.
Credit: Cynthia Haynes
Lantana is considered invasive in several states, including California, Florida, Hawaii, and Texas.
It forms dense thickets and crowds out native plants.
If you choose to grow it,deadhead the spent flowersbefore they set seed.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Dig a hole about the same width and depth as the planting container.
Remove the plant and loosen the roots a bit from the root ball before placing it in the hole.
Backfill with soil and tamp lightly.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Keep the plant evenly moist.
Space lantana plants about 12 inches apart.
Lantana Care Tips
Light
The plants thrive infull sun.
Credit: Hetherington & Associates
In the shade, they produce fewer blooms and are more prone to diseases.
Soil and Water
Lantanas tolerate most soil types as long as they arewell-draining.
The ideal soilpH is between 6.0 and 6.5.
Credit: David Nevala Photography
The plants are drought-tolerant, but the blooms decrease when the plant goes without water for too long.
While they are blooming, water them thoroughly every week unless they receive an inch of rain.
However, be aware that repeated overhead watering increases the chance of disease or rot.
Credit: Justin Hancock
Fertilizer
Lantanas in the landscape don’t require much fertilizer.
After planting, no fertilizer is needed.
Too much fertilizer inhibits the bloom.
Credit: Justin Hancock
Potted lantana should be fertilized once a month.
All lantanas, both annuals and perennials, benefit from removing the tips in the summer to encourage reblooming.
In hot, dry weather, watch for mites.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
In excessive moisture,powdery mildewand root rot are more likely to occur.
Put one or two seeds in each pot and cover them with 1/8 inch of the medium.
Keep the pots in a warm location and cover them with clear plastic bags to maintain moisture.
Credit: Hetherington & Associates
It may take as long as a month for the seeds to germinate.
When they do, remove the plastic bags immediately.
Many new varieties of lantana are hybrids.
Credit: Kim Cornelison Photography
Some of them areprotected by plant patents and may not be propagated.
Those that aren’t protected can bepropagated by stem cuttingsfrom young growth that hasn’t become woody.
In the spring, take 4-inch cuttings from the tips of the stems.
Credit: David Speer
Remove any leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.
Fill a small pot with seed starting mix and make a hole that is 2 inches deep.
When you see new growth, the cutting has begun rooting.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Remove the plastic bag and put the pot in a warm room with a sunny window until planting time.
Another option is to divide lantana in the spring or early fall.
Plant the transplants in a sunny area with soil that has been enriched with compost or manure.
Credit: David Goldberg
Keep the new plants moist until they are established.
It grows 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
It grows 16 inches tall and 36 inches wide.
Credit: MAVIS AUGUSTINE TORKE
It tolerates humidity well.
It grows to 3 1/2 feet tall by 2 feet wide.
‘Samantha’ Lantana
Lantana’Samantha' has yellow flowers and golden-variegated foliage.
Credit: Illustration by Tom Rosborough
It grows to 2 feet tall by 2 1/2 feet wide.
It’s the perfect annual for adding bright color to hot, sunny spaces.
This tough plant blooms all summer long.
While all varieties are beautiful, keep an eye out for the sweetly scented selections.
Pentas
Pentasis one of the best butterfly-attracting plants around.
The plant grows well in both containers and in garden soil.
It does best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil.
Salvia
Few gardens don’t have at least onesalviagrowing in them.
Most salvias don’t like cool weather, so plant them outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.
The design features easy-care, summer-blooming perennials such as daylilies, phlox, and hostas.
Tropical-Look Garden Plan
Thistropical-look garden planis filled with show-stopping colorful plants.
To attract hummingbirds, the plan also includes a fuchsia.
In a warm climate, lantana comes back every year.
The plants typically live for two to five years.
In a cooler climate, lantana is grown as an annual.
Bring it in inside before the first fall frost.
