Lantana

By Tools for Gardeners

Planting lantana

Plant lantana in spring, at least two weeks after the last frost, into warm soil in the sunniest bed you have. It hates cold feet and will sulk until the ground is genuinely warm. Most gardeners grow it as a flowering annual; in zones 8 to 11, and with hardy cultivars like Miss Huff into zone 7, it overwinters as a woody perennial. In Florida and along the Gulf Coast the species is a listed invasive that escapes into natural areas, so there you should plant only sterile cultivars like the Bloomify and Luscious series, which set no viable seed.

Planting details

• Plant in spring, at least 2 weeks after the last frost, into warm soil
• Spacing: 2 to 4 feet apart depending on type; trailers suit baskets
• Full sun is required for heavy bloom
• Perennial in zones 8 to 11; hardy cultivars overwinter into zone 7
• In the South, pick sterile cultivars that cannot set seed

Growing requirements

Full sun and heat are non-negotiable; shaded lantana gets leggy, mildews, and quits blooming. It takes almost any soil, including poor sandy ground and salty coastal sites, as long as drainage is good and the soil is slightly acid to neutral. Established plants are drought tolerant, but a deep soaking once a week in dry weather keeps the bloom going; avoid overhead watering, which invites disease. Feed lightly once in spring at most, because rich feeding grows leaves instead of flowers.

Harvesting and care

Shear the tip growth lightly in summer to push a fresh flush of bloom. Perennial lantanas get cut back hard in early spring, to about 12 inches, once the weather warms; do not cut hard in fall or the crowns suffer in cold snaps. Annual types can be composted at frost or carried over from cuttings. Where berries form, pull them before they ripen around children, pets, or grazing animals, since unripe fruit and the foliage are toxic.

Common mistakes

• Planting too early into cold soil, which stalls the plant for weeks
• Rich fertilizer, which produces a leafy shrub with few flowers
• Overhead watering, which invites mildew and root problems
• Buying seeding types in the Gulf South, where lantana invades natural areas
• Shade, which means mildew and almost no bloom

Companion plants

Lantana is a butterfly magnet, so it anchors pollinator beds alongside zinnias, pentas, and salvias that share its appetite for heat. Trailing types spill from baskets and window boxes with sweet potato vine. In Florida and the Gulf states, keep it out of planting that borders natural areas, and choose a sterile variety or the native Lantana depressa instead.

• Zinnias

Varieties worth growing

• Miss Huff: the hardiest type, orange and pink; survives winters into zone 7
• Chapel Hill Yellow: hardy yellow selection bred in North Carolina
• New Gold: low, sterile yellow groundcover that never sets seed
• Luscious and Bloomify series: sterile cultivars recommended for Florida and the Gulf

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Lantana
• University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions: Lantana