Lantana has a rich history of being utilized in the garden for long-lasting, colorful blooms, superior heat tolerance and the ability to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Featuring clusters of bright colors, solid as well as multi-color, Lantana can be used in containers, landscaping and hanging baskets.

In the 18^th century, lantana was a popular greenhouse plant in Europe and breeding efforts were extensive, resulting in hundreds of available selections.

There are 150 species of lantana in the verbena family (Verbenaceae) and the most commonly used ornamental selection is Lantana camara. Hardy to zone 8, this plant can be a perennial (tender perennial in zone 7) or even a medium shrub in frost-free locations. It is most commonly used as an annual in colder areas.

Ready for the Heat and Drought!

Want a flower that keeps on flowering throughout the summer in scorching heat and dry conditions? Then Lantana is the perfect plant to grow in your garden and containers!

These plants love the heat and like to be kept on the drier side. They do best in full sun and well-drained soil and hate to be overwatered.

Breeders have recently introduced sterile, or near sterile, Lantana, which means the plant never sets seed, so they continue to bloom and bloom and bloom through the entire season! So, when that heat kicks up, these sterile varieties won’t set seed or cycle out of flower. (setting seed usually means the end of flowering).

New sterile varieties to look for include ‘Gold Mound’, Hot Blooded™, ‘New Gold’, ‘Alba’, Patriot™ Series, Sunburst™ Series, and the Bloomify™ Series.

Compact or Trailing

Lantanas fall roughly into two forms: compact or trailing. Compact, mounding plants are readily available and perfect for small spaces and containers. Trailing forms, which can spread up to three feet, are ideal to economically fill in larger areas with an impressive display of color. When purchasing your Lantana, always consider the final plant size as some can get quite large.

Home Gardening Tips

• Continuous blooms and easy care make Lantana perfect for those new to gardening.
• Lantanas grow best with at least 8 hours of full sun and in a variety of well-drained soil (they do tolerate salt). Avoid overwatering or placing them in poorly drained locations.
• In the spring, home gardeners will find Lantana plants at their local garden retailers and through some plant catalog companies.
• In colder climates, plant after the threat of frost has passed and ideally after the soil has warmed.
• Very few diseases are found. Powdery mildew may become an occasional issue, particularly during cool, wet summers and in situations where proper air circulation isn’t available. Root rot and sooty mold will occasionally become factors in overly damp situations as well.
• Relatively insect-free.
• Overfertilization may result in more stem and foliage growth at the expense of flower production.
• Deadhead (removing spent blooms) regularly to keep the plant tidy and neat.
• If your plant becomes overgrown, prune it back severely to maintain a more compact form.
• Deer and rabbits avoid Lantana because of the “disagreeable odor” of the leaves.

Warmer climates benefit from sterile varieties

Due to the easy spread of seeds by birds, non-native lantana has become a weed in some citrus groves and is problematic in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Hawaii, and other warmer states.

The sterile lantana now available lets gardeners in warmer climates enjoy the beauty of lantana without the worry.

Varieties to Choose From:

Some of the most popular and available lantana series are listed below.  There are some exciting variegated foliage selections to consider as well, such as Cosmic Firestorm™ (‘Manuel Red’) and Lemon Swirl® (‘Samantha’).

Popular Lantana Series

• Bandana® – superior, compact and mounded forms
• Bandito™ – smaller in size but intensely color flowers
• Bandolero – big bold plants good for northern regions
• Bloomify™ – first “sterile certified” series
• Havana™ – naturally compact series, minimal seeding
• Landmark™ – thrives in heat, humidity and drought, solid performer
• Little Lucky™ – dense and compact habit, heavy flowering
• Lucky® – early flowering, more compact
• Luscious® – excellent in baskets & mixed containers

Learn more about Lantana from our NGB members…

• Lantana by Bonnie Plants
• Learn about Lantanas by W. Atlas Burpee Co
• How to Create Sensational Pots and Planters by Gardener’s Supply
• How to Care for Lantana Video by Wenke Greenhouses
• Top 10 Water-Wise Container Garden Plants by Black Gold

This fact sheet is provided as an educational service of the National Garden Bureau. Please credit National Garden Bureau when using all or parts of this article or referencing the “Year of the” program.

Each state in the U.S. has their own list of invasive species. Before trying a new plant in your garden, refer to the USDA’s National Invasive Species Information website or check with local agencies such as an Extension specialist.

Please consider our NGB member companies as authoritative sources for information. Click on the Member Directory for details about our members. Gardeners looking for seed and plant sources should select “Shop Our Members” at the top of our homepage.