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Garden Sanity by Pet Scribbles

Lantana: A flower garden rock star!

This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Any supplies used may be given to me free of charge, however, all projects and opinions are my own.


June 25, 2015 By Laura

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Why is Lantana a garden rock star? Here’s just a few enticing answers: non-stop blooming time; easy-care flowers; and the color combinations are ah-MAZ-zing! Pull up a chair and let me tell you more . . .

Lantana comes in various colors and color combinations, like the ones shown here.

Lantana is a must-have for your flower garden. This plant — which can be grown as an annual or as a perennial depending on which USDA Zone you’re in — blooms non-stop from Summer well into the Fall months, as I’ll show you in just a moment.

Lantana loves being in full sun. When you buy it at the home and garden center or nursery, it will be on the small side in pots, something like this …

Lemon Zest Lantana

The above image was planted in June 2013 in our front garden.  When you first plant Lantana, water it regularly until it gets established. Once it begins growing, you’ll notice that its water needs are minimal.

Below is how this same plant looked 3 months later, in September 2013:

Yellow Lantana flowers spread nicely

Amazing, right? And this is just one plant!

Yellow Lantana Flowers

If you look at the image above, you can see the Lantana flowers in all stages of bloom, from just the green buds, to the larger yellow-colored buds that look almost like tiny yellow rectangular pillows, to the fully opened blooms!

Here’s a Lantana shrub – basically a larger-potted Lantana plant – that I planted 3.5 months before this picture was taken. After a full Summer of blooming its heart out, it was still growing strong in mid-September that year (2013):

Luscious Berry Blend Lantana in the Fall garden

This variety of Lantana is called Luscious Berry Blend Lantana. The multi-colored blooms are stunning!

Luscious Berry Blend Lantana

Here’s the same plant at the end of September that same year. (Notice our lovely garden edging? Half brick, with some green plastic edging thrown in. Yes it was temporary! LOL!)

Lantana flowers in September

We had the mis-matched edging because we were planning out our beds to get real edging professionally installed the next day. And here’s what that looked like – again at the end of September 2013:

Lantana flowers in the Fall

Much nicer edging, right?

And here’s the same Lantana plant one month later – at the end of October 2013:

Lantana flowers in October

The Lantana was still going strong, right along with those yellow Mums nearby. That’s when we knew we would always be planting Lantana in our gardens every year!

Here’s the key points you need to know about Lantana:

  • Loves full sun.
  • Comes in an almost endless array of color combinations and solid colors (red, yellow, orange, pink, white, lavender)
  • Can be grown as annuals in USDA zones 2 – 11; Can be grown as perennials in zones 8 or 9 and above
  • Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
  • Low maintenance
  • Perfect for both containers as well as in the garden
Lantana in the garden

And two VERY important notes about Lantana:

Lantana can be invasive in areas where frost doesn’t occur. Check with your local garden nursery if unsure.

Lantana can be poisonous to cats and dogs, especially with the small berries that develop on the plant at the end of the Summer. If you have pets, please either use a chicken-wire fence that’s high enough to keep your pets out, or supervise your pets when they are in your garden areas. (Our cats have always been indoor-only cats.)

My favorite varieties are the multi-colored ones. (Although as shown earlier, a solid mass of one color can also be very striking too!)

Lantana Luscious Berry Blend

You can see in these two images (above and below) how the individual tiny petals resemble rectangular pillows before they open.

Multi-colored Lantana

I never tire of looking at these flowers up close, nor do I ever tire of watching the butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy the flowers!

Lantana camara flowers in orange, pink, yellow and red

Want to see more of my favorite plants for the garden? Click here: My Favorite Plants

Happy gardening!

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Filed Under: Annuals, Plants Tagged With: annuals, Autumn flowers, container gardening, drought-tolerant plants, easy-care plants, Fall flowers, garden beds, garden planters, gardening, Lantana, lavender flowers, multi-color flowers, orange flowers, Perennials, Pink flowers, red flowers, Summer flowers, white flowers, yellow flowers

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Suzanne

    June 28, 2015 at 4:23 am

    Hi Laura,
    Here in Australia Lantana is illegal as it is classed as a noxious week. That hasn’t however stopped me growing it in my back yard. I love it! The yellow version is such a lovely colour and you have colour all year around.
    Best wishes, love your blog.

    • Laura

      July 7, 2015 at 11:27 am

      I’ve heard that Lantana can be invasive in some parts of the US too. I’d do the same thing as you: I’d happily grow it and have the prettiest “weeds” of all! 🙂 So glad you stopped by and love hearing your gardening perspective from Australia! Thank you!

  2. Cathy

    July 7, 2015 at 11:04 am

    These are beautiful – the grands brought me a couple little flowers a week ago they found on a hike. I thought then I may have to add some to the landscape but yours has me convinced It is just what I need for some beautiful everlasting color. I am going to be looking for some for sure now. Cathy

    • Laura

      July 7, 2015 at 11:38 am

      Oooh I’d love to see pictures once you plant some, Cathy! (And with how easy they are to care for, it’s a win-win!)

  3. Joey

    August 14, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    Okay, I’m highly irritated! Why, you ask? Because for the life of me I cannot get MY Lantana near as beautiful as yours!!! I have two in separate container that I’m lucky if I get three flowers on them at once! They appear to be healthy. Green leaves, and gorgeous color when the few bloom! I live in zone 7 generally speaking in Northen California. What am I doing wrong?.. I dutifully clip off the expired “balls”, the occasional food, check the water levels with a gauge, they’re in the full sun approx. 4-6 hours due to trees. If you could give me any advice, I’d gladly receive it! I too, love the incredible God given array of colors that come on one flower! Safe to say they’re one of my favorites, so I’m really disappointed. How you got the shrub, I’ll never know! Maybe my little green thumb is yellowing??!!
    Thanks for any help!
    Joey

    • Laura

      April 14, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      I think Lantana would grow best if planted in the ground rather than a container.
      My neighbor has one planted in her front flower bed that has grown into a beautiful shrub.
      It is simply stunning and has great curb appeal! I had to stop the car while driving by and walk over
      to check it out.
      We live in Middle Tennessee…..

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Welcome to Garden Sanity by Pet Scribbles. I’m Laura, an artist and self-taught gardener. Gardening is therapeutic for me, peaceful and calming. I write articles and film videos centered around my own gardens, with plenty of plant suggestions and gardening tips. I’m glad you’re here and happy to share my garden inspiration with you!

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