Lantana is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.
Light
Lantana plants like full sun.
The plant should receive at least six hours (or more) of direct sunlight every day.
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It can tolerate some afternoon shade, but will flower less if planted in a shady spot.
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).
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With sandy soil, you will likely need to water every day.
If blooming has slowed or stopped altogether, try more water.
Lantana thrives in temperatures 55oF or more.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
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.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
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 20-20-20fertilizerevery month, following product label instructions.
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The flower’s nectar attracts several species of butterflies, including the spicebush swallowtail.
Cut stems in the spring to within six to 12 inches from the ground to encourage branching and blooming.
Propagating Lantana
Lantana can be propagated or multiplied by growing from seed or stem cuttings.
Stem cuttings, however, will be the same as the parent.
Take a cutting in the fall as the weather turns wintery.
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.
Put the plant into a container slightly larger than its existing rootball.
Lantana prefers tight living quarters, so resist getting a huge container.
check that the container has ample drainage holes.
Consider placing small gravel at the bottom to assist with drainage.
Use potting soil with good drainage; consider mixing in sand, perlite, or using peat moss mixture.
Only move up to a container that is the next size larger.
If you are considering a vining lantana that works well in hanging planters,L.
montevidensisis more vine-like than other varieties and is a great hanging plant.
How to Get Lantana to Bloom
Lantanas need full sun and consistently moist soil to bloom.
If you have problems with bloom, prune off old seed pods or berries.
Bloom Months
Lantana blooms year-round in climates that remain above 55oF.
How Long Does Lantana Bloom?
What Do Lantana Flowers Look and Smell Like?
The leaves have a sandpaper-like texture.
Lantanas have a strong, not-terribly-pleasant citrusy smell and are consideredfragrant.
How to Encourage More Blooms?
Give half-strength phosphorus-enriched fertilizer and water deeply weekly to encourage new blooms.
If growing outdoors in a subtropical climate, reduce water to only 1/2 inch per week and withhold fertilizer.
Is This the Right Plant for You?
Lightly prune the tips of lantana stems to encourage more branching and flower buds.
Nitrogen feeds foliage, forsaking flowers for leaves.
To encourage lantanas to bloom, remove the flower heads before they make berries.
The plant also puts a lot of its energy into producing berries at the expense of blooms.
Pruning or trimming back plants will encourage new growth and more flowers.
Test the soil using an at-home kit or send your soil sample to a lab to check for deficiencies.
Amend the soil with the nutrients the soil is missing.
Replenish nutrients by providing fertilizer.
Plants You Might Also Like
Lantana is a fast-growing and profuse bloomer, especially as a shrub.
Even as an annual, lantana can grow into a bushy bloomer several feet tall in one season.
Lantana does not make a good houseplant.
Lantana’s blooms are smaller, in tighter clusters thanverbena.
Verbena is not as drought or heat-tolerant as lantana.
Lantana’s colorful blooms make good specimen plants.
They are also used as border shrubs and as ground cover in areas with full sunshine in warm climates.
The plants tolerate salt spray very well, making them popular in yards located near the ocean.
In colder climates, where lantana plants are treated as annuals, they grow in hanging baskets.
The plant is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, no matter the growth.
Negi, G.C.S., Sharma, S., Vishvakarma, S.C.et al.Ecology and Use ofLantana camarain India.Bot.
109130, 2019. doi:10.1007/s12229-019-09209-8
Lantana.
Reproductive Biology and Invasive Potential of Lantana Camara Cultivars.USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Lantana and verbena: how to combat insects and mite pests.The Texas A&M University System.
