Want to welcome pollinators to your perennial garden while brightening it up with a rainbow of cheerful colors? Then you should think about planting lantana flowers. Lantanas are easy to grow and can flourish in containers or your garden beds.
In this growing guide, we will teach you how to plant lantana and maintain it. You can jump to any section in the advanced jump below or read on for the full guide.
Jump to:
- What Are Lantana Flowers?
- Lantana Basics
- Where Do Lantana Flowers Grow?
- Are Lantanas Annuals or Perennials?
- Why Grow Lantana Flowers?
- Lantana Landscaping Ideas
- Recommended Lantana Varieties
- When Do Lantana Flowers Bloom?
- How Long Do Lantana Flowers Bloom?
- When to Plant Lantana Flowers
- Ideal Growing Conditions for Lantana Flowers
- How to Plant Lantana Flowers
- How to Propagate Lantana Flowers
- How to Care for Lantana Flowers
- Recommended Planting Combinations for Lantana
- Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Lantana Flowers
- Where to Buy Lantana Flowers
What Are Lantana Flowers?
Lantana is the name of a genus of flowering perennials comprising around 150 species. They are part of the verbena family and sometimes are referred to as “shrub verbenas.”
Plants in this genus produce beautiful clusters of flowers that are called “umbels.” The florets may take on a wide variety of colors, sometimes even on a single umbel. The reason for multiple hues on one cluster has to do with the aging of the florets, which gradually shifts their hues as they get older.
Note that there are a couple of other types of plants that are called “lantanas,” but which are not related to the lantanas we are talking about in this article.
These include the Viburnum lantana, or “wayfaring tree,” and the “wild lantanas” that are part of the Abronia genus, also known as “sand verbenas.”
Is lantana invasive? That depends on both the type of lantana and your location.
Wild lantana tends to be invasive. But there are cultivars of lantana being sold, which are sterile or non-invasive hybrids.
Research your region and whether or not lantanas are considered invasive in your location.
If they are, just make sure you are getting a safe cultivar for your area. If you do have invasive lantana growing in your garden, you should always deadhead it and take steps to make sure it does not start spreading out of control.
Lantana Basics
| Zones: | 7-11 |
| Blooming season: | Year-round (potentially) |
| Expected height: | Up to 6 feet |
| Soil: | Rich, well-draining |
| Sun: | Full |
Where Do Lantana Flowers Grow?
Lantana plants are native to Africa and the Americas, growing in tropical regions. But they now can be found growing around the globe, especially in warmer climate zones where they thrive as perennials. They are naturalized in the Southeast region of the US.
Are Lantanas Annuals or Perennials?
You may see some sources call lantanas perennials, and others call them annuals. So, which of these is correct? Are lantanas annuals or perennials?
Lantana flowers are tender perennials. As tender perennials, they can live for years in your garden if you live in a warmer climate zone.
But they are not cold-hardy enough to survive as perennials in colder climate zones. That is where people tend to grow them as annuals.
If you live in one of these colder climate zones, it may be useful to grow them as potted plants and overwinter them indoors; by doing so, you can keep them as perennials.
Why Grow Lantana Flowers?
Here are a few reasons to plant lantana flowers in your perennial garden:
• Numerous cultivars: There are a ton of different types of lantana to choose from for your garden. You will never tire of exploring the endless variety.
• Deer-resistant: You can typically count on lantana plants to deter deer. Not only are deer less likely to pick on them, but they might also leave alone some companion plants that are relatively close by.
• Drought-resistant: After establishing, lantanas are able to withstand dry spells pretty well.
• Versatile for landscaping: You will be surprised by just how much you can accomplish with lantanas in your garden (see the section below for a few creative ideas).
• Ongoing blooms: Few other perennials can reward you with as many spectacular blooms over the course of a year as lantana. Even if you live somewhere, the plant isn’t hardy; you can enjoy it for months. If you live somewhere, it is hardy; you might have an even longer bloom period.
• Not prone to pests or diseases: In most circumstances, lantana will be free of pests or diseases, making it easy to grow even as a novice gardener.
Lantana Landscaping Ideas
Here are some creative ways to use lantana around your garden:
• Borders: Lantana plants can be grown neatly and compactly, with abundant, densely-packed blooms. That means they can serve well as border plants along sidewalks, garden paths, lawns, etc. Consider planting them with a row of dark blue companion flowers either in front of or behind them. Doing so will create a particularly bold contrast with the typically sunny hues of the lantana flowers. This will give your border a “sharper” appearance.
• Groundcover: You can get lantana plants to spread out and form a dense groundcover. This can be an appealing way to cover a large part of your lawn with flowers.
• Ocean gardens: A lot of plants do not do well with salt, but lantanas can flourish in the salty air. So, if you live along the seaside and have been looking for the perfect addition to your coastal garden, lantana is an excellent choice.
• Hanging baskets: Try hanging baskets of lantana around your patio or deck.
• Pollinator garden: Planting lantana alongside other pollinator favorites is a great way to lure them into your yard.
• Curb appeal: Since lantanas bloom for months on end, they are perfect for planting in your front yard, where they can be seen and enjoyed by visitors, neighbors, and anyone else who happens by. If you are trying to sell your home, they may give your curb appeal a significant boost.
Recommended Lantana Varieties
Let’s take a look at some beautiful cultivars of this perennial plant to consider for your garden.
• Clear White: If you want to grow lantana as a groundcover, this cultivar with white blooms and a low growth habit may be the perfect addition to your yard.
• Patriot Deen Day Smith: The colorful flowers of this cultivar feature a combination of pink, apricot, and yellow. By the end of the season, it can be up to 5 feet tall, making it a nice choice if you want a fast-growing plant that can add some privacy to your garden.
• New Gold: The yellow flowers of this cultivar gives it its name. It is sterile, spreads quickly, and can survive winters better than some other cultivars. It may thrive on the coast.
• Miss Huff: If you are looking for a hardy plant, this robust cultivar should be among your top considerations when shopping for lantana. It can reach 5-6 feet over the course of a growing season and produces gold, coral, and orange blooms. It is sterile, so you do not have to worry about it producing berries, but it also may weather winters better than other lantana cultivars.
• Dallas Red: If you want to draw pollinators to your garden, Dallas Red is one of the ideal cultivars of lantana to plant. You will also enjoy the vivid red hues of the blossoms.
• Silver Mound: This cultivar takes its name from its mounding growth habit. The blooms are yellow at first and then change color to a creamy hue.
• Weeping Lantana: Do you want a type of lantana that is purple in hue? Consider this cultivar. It is ideal for hanging baskets since it trails.
• Patriot Popcorn: For those in search of a compact cultivar of lantana, “Patriot Popcorn” may satisfy. It reaches only around a foot in height and two feet in width. You’ll enjoy the yellow and white flowers that give it its name.
• Confetti: A mixture of dark pink and bright yellow makes for vibrant blooms on “Confetti.” The leaves are also dark, adding further contrast and really making every flower “pop.”
• Radiation: This plant features vibrant blooms in orange and red that you will swear to have an almost “radioactive” glow; they are so bright. It can reach up to 5 feet tall.
• Dove Wings: Not surprisingly, the flowers of this cultivar are white. Butterflies and moths are said to find it particularly attractive. So, expect some welcome visitors!
• Samantha: Have you been looking for a cultivar of lantana that produces leaves that are every bit as interesting as its flowers? “Samantha” is a cultivar that produces variegated leaves with contrasting chartreuse and dark green. The flowers are yellow. It is berry-free since it is sterile.
• Patriot Rainbow: With a name like “Rainbow,” you just know this cultivar is going to awe you with it stunning blossoms. They are yellow at first and then turn orange. After that, they deepen to magenta. As a result, you will see a gorgeous gradient of colors on many of the blooms.
• Irene: This cultivar has similar colors as Patriot Rainbow and a mounding growth habit.
• Patriot Honeylove: The blossoms on this cultivar are yellow, pink, and creamy white color. It is relatively compact, reaching only around two feet in height.
• Athens Rose: Magenta and light pink are the dominant hues on this type of lantana, but you will also see some yellows in these spectacular blooms. This cultivar maxes out at around 3 feet in height.
• Lantana Camara Landmark Citrus: This cultivar of lantana produces blooms with citrusy hues of deep orange and gold. It can be an excellent choice if you are planting lantana in a seaside garden since it can flourish even in salty conditions. Pollinators will love it.
That wraps up our list of recommended lantana cultivars. It is hard not to want to add a dozen more; there are so many exquisite options!
When Do Lantana Flowers Bloom?
When lantana flowers bloom depends on your region. In a cool climate zone, you can expect them to start flowering late in spring and continue to bloom until the first frost arrives.
If you have a warm climate zone, you can look forward to lantana blooms throughout the year.
How Long Do Lantana Flowers Bloom?
Unlike many perennials that produce one or more flushes of blooms, lantana plants produce continuous blooms. That means that you can enjoy their blossoms for months on end without pause. Again, if you are in a warm climate zone, your lantana plants might always be in bloom!
When to Plant Lantana Flowers
The best time of year to plant lantana is in spring. Wait until a couple of weeks have passed since the last frost, and then plant them.
Ideal Growing Conditions for Lantana Flowers
Let’s go over the sun, water, and soil requirements for lantana so you can grow these beautiful blooms successfully in your garden.
How Much Sun Do Lantana Flowers Need?
You should plant your lantanas in full sun. If shade is unavoidable, try and have it fall on the plants in the afternoon. But be aware that they probably will not bloom as profusely if they are in partial shade.
What Type of Soil is Right for Lantana Flowers?
As long as you have well-draining soil for your lantanas, soil conditions can vary a bit, and the plants will still be happy. Acidic soil is preferred by these plants. Try adding a little sphagnum peat to your soil if it is too alkaline.
How Much Water Do Lantana Flowers Need?
Like many other perennials, lantana plants need extra water during the establishing phase. But after that, these plants are drought-resistant.
Around an inch of water per week is sufficient during the times they are in bloom. Oftentimes, precipitation will provide adequate water, sparing you from the chore. When you do have to water by hand, try and do so near the base of the plant rather than watering from overhead. This technique will help you to prevent rot.
How to Plant Lantana Flowers
Below, we teach you how to plant a lantana nursery plant in your flower bed or in a container.
Ground Planting
1. Pick a location in your garden where the lantanas are likely to thrive. Prepare your soil if you need to. For poor soil, adding organic material may provide a richer, more conducive environment for your lantanas to grow.
If your soil is on the alkaline side, see if you can make it more acidic by adding some sulfur, sphagnum peat moss, etc.
2. Dig holes for your lantana plants. Around 18-24 inches of space between plants will give them the air circulation they need.
3. Place the nursery plants in the holes, and backfill the soil.
4. Water deeply after planting is complete.
Continue to provide your lantana plants with extra water as they establish.
Container Planting
Here is how you can grow potted lantana in your container gardens:
1. First, you are going to need to decide the look you are going for. Do you want lantana in a hanging basket or in a container on the ground?
2. If you decide on a hanging basket, purchase a trailing cultivar of lantana. If you decide on a regular pot on the ground, then go with a mounding cultivar.
Of course, if you already have the plant, you will instead need to select an appropriate container.
In other words, if you already have trailing lantana, get a basket, and if you already have mounding lantana, get a normal pot for the ground.
Add drainage holes to the bottom of the container if they are not there already.
3. Put potting mix in your container.
4. Remove the nursery plant from the container it arrived in and place it in your new container. Fill in the potting mix around it.
5. Water deeply.
Lantana in containers needs extra water while establishing, just like lantana in your flower beds.
Over the long run, potted lantana is drought-tolerant, just like lantana in your garden beds, but it can dry out more quickly. So, it might need more water than it would if it were in the ground.
How to Propagate Lantana Flowers
To propagate lantana plants, you can use either seeds or cuttings. Below, you can find the full instructions for both.
Starting Lantana Flowers from Seed
If you prefer, you can start lantanas from seed, whether by collecting them from your existing lantana plants or by purchasing them from a nursery.
1. If you are harvesting your own seeds, wait for the berries on your plants to ripen. When they have a black color, harvest them. Open them up and extract the seeds from the pods.
Do not eat the berries. Just discard them somewhere; pets will not get at them.
2. Wash off the seeds, then leave them out to dry, where they get plenty of airflow.
3. Once the seeds are fully dry, you can seal them in a plastic container or bag and put them in your fridge.
4. Get small pots for the seeds with drainage holes. Fill them with potting mix.
5. A day before you want to plant the seeds, soak them in warm water. You will need to do this for a good 24 hours.
6. Add a couple of seeds to each of the pots. Cover them lightly with potting mix.
7. Moisten the potting mix gently with the help of a spray bottle.
8. Use a lid or plastic wrap to cover the pots. Place them somewhere where it is 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Wait for the seeds to germinate, watering when needed using the spray bottle.
10. When the seedlings sprout a few weeks later, take off the cover.
11. Wait for the seedlings to grow a little more, watering when needed.
12. Harden the seedlings by taking them outdoors for longer and longer periods of time.
13. Plant the seedlings outside when they have finished acclimating to outdoor life. Give them extra water while establishing.
Starting Lantana Flowers from Cuttings
1. Wait for spring when you start seeing fresh growth on your existing lantana plants. Use sanitized sheers to take 4-inch cuttings.
2. Get rid of the lower leaves on each, but keep the upper leaves in place.
3. You can start the cuttings in a container with water. This process should take between three and four weeks.
4. After several weeks have passed, you can transfer the cutting into a container filled with potting soil. Water the soil, and continue to water it periodically to keep it moist. Wait another four weeks or so.
5. Once your lantana has roots, you can transplant it in its new location.
How to Divide Lantana Flowers
You can periodically divide your lantana plants to propagate them and maintain their abundant blooms. The best times for dividing lantana are spring and autumn. This plant will not do well if you attempt to divide it in summer.
1. Dig a hole around the lantana plant you want to divide using a trowel or shovel. We recommend a shovel, as it will be faster, and you have to dig pretty far out from the plant to avoid the roots. If you are cutting closer than the outer perimeter of the branches, you are too close and will injure the roots.
2. Eventually, you should be able to dig under the plant and pry it up out of the ground.
3. You will now be able to divide the lantana. A trowel works well for this job.
4. Dig holes for your newly-divided lantanas that are large enough for their extensive roots.
5. Backfill the soil and water deeply.
Give the lantanas extra water while they establish in their new spots.
How to Care for Lantana Flowers
Growing lantana flowers successfully requires that you provide them with the right maintenance and care. Let’s go over-fertilizing, mulching, and other care requirements for lantanas.
How to Fertilize Lantana Flowers
The time to fertilize your lantana plants is in spring. Make it a balanced fertilizer, and apply it in moderation. A little bit goes a long way, and too much will have the opposite effect of what you are hoping for.
Some sources also say that it is worth fertilizing lantana in summer. But if you do this, you should give it even less than you did in spring. You also should not bother if the plant appears to be flourishing fine on its own.
Finally, potted lantana may require fertilizer more frequently than lantana in flower beds. But remember, too many applications of fertilizer will just reduce blooms.
How to Mulch Lantana Flowers
Lantana is a plant that you should mulch for winter if you live in a region where it goes into a dormant stage during those months. If your region is warm enough that it stays green, you can skip it. But if the plant turns brown and you have to trim it, then mulch is appropriate.
Just keep in mind that mulch will not keep lantana alive in especially harsh winters where the plant is not sufficiently hardy to survive outdoors.
How to Stake Lantana Flowers
Lantana is a plant that often does fine without staking. But if you have taller lantanas or they are not adequately sheltered from the wind, they might benefit from being tied with garden twine to bamboo stakes.
How to Prune Lantana Flowers
To prune your lantana plants, you should deadhead them during the bloom season and cut them back in spring.
How to Deadhead Lantana Flowers
You should shear the tips of your lantana branches to help them bloom more profusely during the season.
When to Cut Back Lantana Flowers
Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center suggests, “Prune perennial lantanas back hard in spring (March) to remove old growth and prevent woodiness. Cut back to about 6 to 12 inches from ground level. Avoid hard pruning in fall as this can cause reduced cold hardiness.”
What to Know About Overwintering Lantana
Don’t live in one of the warm climate zones where lantana thrive outdoors as year-round perennials? Have no fear—you can still keep lantana as a perennial by bringing it indoors each year when the temperatures dip too low outdoors.
You have two options. You can either try to keep your lantana flourishing as a houseplant over the winter, or you can let it become dormant.
Typically, it is easier to just let the plant become dormant until spring. To do this, you place the plant in a room that is cool but not cold—around 55 degrees Fahrenheit is good. So, a cellar or basement might be ideal.
Keep the room relatively dark—though not pitch black. A little indirect sun is suitable. Water the plant weekly, but no more than half an inch.
Once the weather starts warming up again, you will be able to bring your lantana back outside for a new growing season, exposing it to light and giving it a regular amount of water again. It will emerge from its dormant state and begin blooming.
Are Lantana Flowers Vulnerable to Diseases or Pests?
Lantana usually does not have serious problems with pests or diseases. But sometimes, these plants might develop root rot, powdery mildew, or sooty mold. If you grow your plant in the right conditions, you probably will not have these problems.
Sooty mold actually tends to result from whiteflies, so that is a pest to watch out for when growing lantanas. Mites, caterpillars, and lantana lace bugs are additional pests to avoid.
You will be pleased to learn that slugs and snails are typically not problems for lantana plants.
Lantana plants are generally listed as deer-resistant as well. You would think they would be listed as rabbit-resistant since they are toxic to rabbits, but sometimes rabbits try to eat them anyway. Rabbits are persistent like that (but do not feed them to your pet bunny under any circumstances).
Recommended Planting Combinations for Lantana
Here are a few plants to consider planting alongside your lantanas:
• Star jasmine: Like lantana, star jasmine is a plant that appreciates heaps of sunshine. The white flowers will contrast nicely with the colorful lantana blooms. See our Star Jasmines Full Growing Guide to learn how to plant and maintain them.
• Hibiscus: If you are growing lantana in a tropical climate where they can bloom all year, they may live happily next to hibiscus, another warm-weather perennial you will love. Check the Hibiscus Full Growing Guide for details.
• Salvia: The purple flowers of salvia plants will offset your lantana blooms beautifully, and they will love the same sunny conditions your lantana flowers prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Lantana Flowers
To finish up this guide, let’s answer a few questions that gardeners commonly ask about lantana flowers.
Insects are most likely to be responsible for chewing on lantana plants. Rabbits or slugs are also possible, but not as likely.
Many people wonder whether lantana is related to mint. Texas A&M University writes of desert lantana, “The whole plant is aromatic, and it has sometimes been identified as belonging to the mint family, of which the true marjoram is a member.”
Indeed, some people may assume that lantana will impart a flavor similar to mint and attempt to add it to their recipes.
But remember, lantana is part of the verbena family, Verbenaceae. That is an entirely different family than the mint family, which is Lamiaceae.
The word “verbena” refers to the genus Verbena. Verbena plants are also sometimes referred to as “vervain” or “verveine” plants.
Lantana is part of the Verbenaceae family, which is the same family that the Verbena genus is part of. But it is a separate genus.
That means that lantana plants and verbena plants are related but are not the same thing. If you are interested in growing verbena plants, you will want to consult a Vervain Full Growing Guide.
Should you add lantana to your recipes? There seems to be some contention as to whether or not it is safe to eat lantana.
Here is a blog post that delves into the matter a bit, pointing toward resources that suggest the ripe fruit is edible and resources that suggest the fruit of this plant is poisonous, regardless of whether it is ripe or unripe.
The blogger claims, “I’ve eaten ripe berries as a trail-side nibble, and I am still here. They are very sweet, crunchy, and slightly aromatic. I have not made a pie, nor have I consumed more than a handful at a time, but they have posed no problem thus far.”
The blogger also states that in Ecuador and the Caribbean Islands, berries and leaves are used as ingredients in foodstuffs and teas.
At the same time, lantana has been known to kill children and livestock. Adults have gotten very sick from eating it too.
So, with all of that in mind, we would recommend that you do not eat lantana, whether or not it is ripe. It is just not worth risking poisoning yourself.
Worried about kids and pets eating lantana fruit? You can avoid this problem completely and still enjoy lantana simply by planting a sterile cultivar.
Examples of sterile lantana cultivars include Samantha, New Gold, Mozelle, Miss Huff, Patriot Deen Day Smith, Weeping Lavender, Patriot Marc Cathey, and Weeping White.
Lantana is poisonous to dogs, cats, and horses. You should not let any of your pets consume any part of the lantana.
Lantana plants are tender perennials. That means they are perennials in warmer climate zones but often grown as annuals in colder zones.
Where to Buy Lantana Flowers
If you are ready to bring continuous long-lasting blooms of lantana flowers to your garden, shop for lantana cultivars online. That is where you will find the widest selection of these cheerful, colorful blooms.
June Ramirez
For some reason my horses love lantana. It is the first thing they go for if they excuse their area. One year I had to cut the many lantanas to the ground while their own pen was being fixed. They didn't get sick or have any issues but I don't like to tempt faith so I keep the horses away. The wild rabbits like the lantana and keep the bottom parts nicely trimmed. They spend a lot of time under the plants staying cool and avoiding my dog. I usually cage young lantana plants to keep them safe from the rabbits.
Mary Ward
Interesting,thanks!