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Lantana is a perennial vining, flowering shrub in warm zones and an annual in places with frosty winters. Fast-growing lantana produces rounded clusters of small, brightly colored flowers in yellow, orange, white, red, pink, blue, or purple and is often used in hanging baskets or ground covers. Lantana grows best in full sun conditions and requires at least six hours of direct sunlight, preferring neutral, well-draining soil and temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Lantana is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.1
Requires full sun.
Prefers well-draining soil that is neutral, slightly acidic, or slightly alkaline.
Needs moist soil and likes humidity.
Grows best in temperatures above 55 F.
Give balanced fertilizer only once a year; once monthly if growing in containers.
Plant as a perennial any time of year or in the spring as an annual.
Lantana plants are considered invasive in many areas, including Florida, Arizona, and Hawaii.3 If you live in a frost-free climate and would like to grow lantana outdoors as a perennial, check with your municipality or a local extension office to see if there are any restrictions on planting this species in your area.
Soil
These plants thrive in well-draining soil. They will grow in most soil conditions but prefer a neutral pH range (6.0-8.0).
Water
Water lantana thoroughly, about one inch per week, and do not let it dry out. With sandy soil, you will likely need to water every day. If blooming has slowed or stopped altogether, try more water.
Temperature and Humidity
Lantana plants grow in USDA zones 7 to 11; in this zone, they are evergreens of the broadleaf variety. They may survive a light frost, but the plant will die if the temperature dips below 28 degrees Fahrenheit or stays cold for a long time. Lantana thrives in temperatures 55 degrees Fahrenheit or more. It enjoys humid weather and can survive salt spray.
Fertilizer
Lantana plants do not require much fertilizer when in the ground. Give it once in the early spring. They are very low-maintenance, and too much fertilizer can decrease the abundance of flowers. Feed lantana plants in containers more frequently with a balanced, gentle 20-20-20 fertilizer every month, following product label instructions.
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Types of Lantana
Most lantana bushes grow up to 6 feet tall in their native climate; however, if kept as an annual, this fast grower can still get up to 3 feet tall in one growing season. The flower’s nectar attracts several species of butterflies, including the spicebush swallowtail.
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis): These have vining branches up to 12 inches long and are popular for baskets or hanging displays.
Popcorn lantana (Lantana trifolia): This type is known for its relatively small and bright clusters of flowers.
Wild lantana (Lantana urticoides): Found in Texas, these have especially pungent leaves.
Lantana pastazensis: Native to Ecuador and rarely found outside of its natural zone; listed as “vulnerable” to becoming an endangered species.
‘Spreading Sunset’ (Lantana x ‘Monet’): This cultivar has a flower head with gold centers surrounded by orange. This orange color later fades to pink.
Lantana camara ‘Miss Huff’: Cold hardy to Zone 7b with orange and yellow flowers.
Lantana camara ‘Bandito’: Compact mounding habit with orange, red, or pink flowers.
Pruning
If you are growing lantana as a perennial, pruning is essential to promote branching and flowering. Remove the plant’s fruit to keep its aggressive growth in check—lightly shear lantana after flowering to encourage future blooms on bushier branches. Cut stems in the spring to within six to 12 inches from the ground to encourage branching and blooming.
If a perennial lantana plant produces berries and you do not want the seeds to drop and spread, prune lantana after flowering.
Pruning Tip
Looking for the best pruners to keep your lantana in tip-top shape? We’ve tested plenty of pruners so you don’t have to and picked the top 12 best ones for you to choose from.
Propagating Lantana
Lantana can be propagated or multiplied by growing from seed or stem cuttings. Stem cutting is more reliable since many lantana plants are hybrids, which may not come true to the parent plant when grown from collected seed. Stem cuttings, however, will be the same as the parent. Take a cutting in the fall as the weather turns wintery. The outdoor plants will die in winter weather, but you can grow them indoors in a warm room with grow lights, getting them ready to transplant outdoors in the spring. Here’s how to propagate by stem cutting:
You’ll need pruners, a piece of the plant, a pot of moist seed starting mix or perlite and peat moss mixture, rooting hormone (optional, but preferred), a clear plastic bag, and wooden supports (pencils, sticks, or chopsticks).
Take a 4-inch cutting from new growth, removing the lower leaves and keeping one or two sets of leaves at the end.
Fill the container with the moistened potting soil, and make a two-inch deep hole with a pencil or your finger.
Coat the stem cutting end and the spots where you removed the leaves with rooting hormone if you’re using it.
Place the cutting in the hole, and fill it with soil, tamping it down and firming around the cutting.
Use four wooden prop sticks and place them around the perimeter of the potting container.
Put the clear plastic bag over the cutting, with the wooden supports ensuring the bag does not touch the stem cutting.
Keep the soil moist, check daily, and give the plant fresh air for a short period each day.
Rooting takes about three to four weeks. Once you notice new growth or tug at the plant and feel it is hard to pull out of the soil, remove the plastic bag and grow it in a warm, sunny window until it’s ready to go outdoors.
How to Grow Lantana From Seed
Seeds for planting lantanas as annuals in cooler zones are readily available commercially. Harvesting seeds from perennial plants in warmer zones is simple. When the plant’s black berries are ripe, you will find seed pods inside. Plant seeds six to eight weeks indoors before you want to transplant outdoors.
Pop seeds out of the pods, rinse them with water and dry them on paper towels for a couple of days.
Store dried seeds in a sealed container in a refrigerator until you can put them in a small pot for germination.
Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours.
Fill small pots with soilless potting mix, place one or two seeds in the center of each pot, and cover with the medium.
Place the pot with the seeds in individual and sealable plastic bags. Keep the pots of seeds moist and in an environment where the temperature is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the bag as soon as you see seedlings. This should take about a month. Plant outdoors or in an outdoor container.
