Lantana: Care and Growing Guide

Why lantana succeeds where other plants fail

Lantana (Lantana camara) blooms continuously through the hottest US summers with less water, less care, and less fuss than almost any other commonly grown annual. It thrives in the conditions that kill petunias, slow zinnias, and exhaust impatiens.

The plant’s native range is tropical and subtropical Central and South America. That origin gives it the heat and drought tolerance that makes it exceptionally useful in US Zone 6–11 gardens during July and August, when most garden plants are suffering. At garden centers, lantana is typically sold alongside heat-tolerant annuals like vinca and portulaca — and it outperforms both in sustained summer heat.

The critical caveat: lantana is invasive in Florida and parts of the Gulf Coast. If you live in Florida, Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, or Alabama, you must use sterile or low-seed varieties. Seed-producing lantana naturalizes quickly in warm, frost-free conditions and has escaped cultivation across 19 US states. More on this below.

Lantana varieties for US gardens

For Florida and Gulf Coast gardeners: The ‘Bandana’, ‘Landmark’, and ‘Luscious’ series from Proven Winners are sterile or nearly sterile cultivars that dramatically reduce the invasive risk. These are the varieties to use in invasive-risk states.

‘Miss Huff’ is the cold-hardiest lantana, surviving winters reliably in Zones 7b–10. In Zone 7 (Memphis, Charlotte, Atlanta), ‘Miss Huff’ often returns from the roots even after hard freezes that kill the top growth. It is a large shrub in Zone 8–9, reaching 4–6 feet.

Sun and soil requirements

Lantana needs full sun — at least 6 hours, preferably 8. It blooms poorly in less than 6 hours of direct sun. This is not a shade-tolerant plant.

Soil requirements are minimal. Lantana tolerates:

• Poor, sandy soils with low fertility
• Clay soils as long as drainage is adequate
• Slightly alkaline or slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5–7.5)

What lantana does not tolerate:

• Standing water or consistently wet soil — root rot develops quickly in waterlogged conditions
• Heavy clay where water pools for more than 24 hours after rain
• Deep shade

For other full-sun annuals that work alongside lantana in summer beds, see full sun perennials for perennial companions that bloom at the same time and return each year.

Watering lantana

Lantana performs better with less water than most US gardeners instinctively provide. After establishment, water once or twice per week at most — and only when the soil has dried to 2 inches depth.

This is the most counterintuitive aspect of lantana care. The plants wilt slightly in afternoon heat even with adequate soil moisture — this is normal and does not require watering. Water only if the plant is still wilted the following morning.

During establishment (first 4–6 weeks after transplanting): Water every 2–3 days until the root system is established. After that, back off significantly.

Container lantana: Containers dry faster than in-ground soil. Water when the top 2 inches feel dry — roughly every 2–3 days in summer. Do not let containers sit in standing water.

Fertilizing lantana

Light fertilization is best. Excessive nitrogen produces lush, dark-green foliage with few flowers. Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at planting and nothing more for in-ground plants in average to poor soil.

In containers or in rich garden soil, apply a half-rate balanced liquid fertilizer once in early summer. Do not fertilize after July.

The goal with lantana fertilization is to keep the plant slightly lean — not starved, but not overfed. Lush, well-fed lantana in rich soil produces less bloom than the same plant in average soil with limited fertilizer.

Deadheading and maintenance

You do not need to deadhead lantana. Unlike most annuals, lantana continues producing new flower clusters without having spent ones removed. The plant blooms on new growth, not on whether old clusters have been cleared.

The berries that form after flowering are toxic but also attractive to birds in some regions. If birds are not a concern and the berries are undesirable for aesthetic reasons, prune the whole stem back by one-third in midsummer for a flush of fresh growth and new blooms.

Cutting back for regrowth: In Zones 3–8, lantana may slow or pause flowering in the hottest part of July. Cut plants back by one-third and they typically produce a fresh flush of bloom within 3–4 weeks.

Fall pruning in perennial zones (9–11): In late winter or early spring, cut lantana back hard — to 6–8 inches above the ground. This removes old woody growth and produces vigorous new growth that blooms heavily. Without annual hard pruning, lantana in Zone 9–11 becomes a large, woody shrub that blooms less than well-pruned plants.

Lantana as a pollinator plant

Lantana is among the top five most effective butterfly plants in the US. Painted ladies, gulf fritillaries, tiger swallowtails, and monarchs all visit lantana heavily during the summer migration and breeding season.

The flower clusters contain small individual florets in the center that provide nectar accessible to butterflies. Bees also visit constantly. Ruby-throated hummingbirds use lantana as a summer nectar source in the eastern US.

For pollinator support across the full season, see attract pollinators to your garden for companion plantings that extend butterfly and bee support before and after lantana’s bloom period.

Planting lantana next to marigolds creates a double pollinator draw in a summer border — marigolds bring bees and some butterflies through late summer, lantana provides the butterfly magnet effect all season.

Lantana with companion plants

In a summer border, lantana works well with plants that share its heat and drought tolerance:

• Vinca flower: Similar heat and drought tolerance; vinca in white or pink alongside orange or red lantana creates a bold summer combination
• Angelonia: Tall, heat-tolerant annual with upright form; contrasts with lantana’s mounding habit
• Portulaca: Low-growing, drought-tolerant; fills spaces between lantana plants in hot, dry garden beds
• Ornamental grasses: Tall grasses behind a lantana border provide vertical interest and share the low-water preference

Invasive status by region

Before planting seed-producing lantana, check its status in your state.

• Florida: Listed as a Category I invasive species. Use only sterile varieties.
• Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina: Naturalized and spreading. Sterile varieties strongly recommended.
• California: Listed as a weed of concern. Check county regulations before planting.
• Zones 3–6 (most of the Midwest and Northeast): Frost kills lantana annually, eliminating the invasive risk. Standard varieties are appropriate.

The Florida Invasive Species Partnership (floridainvasives.org) maintains a current list of invasive plants by region in Florida with recommended sterile alternatives.

Overwintering lantana in cold zones

In Zones 3–8, frost kills lantana. For those who want to save a favorite variety:

1. Dig the plant before first frost, cutting stems back to 6–8 inches
2. Pot in a container with quality potting mix
3. Store in a cool (45–55°F), bright location — an unheated garage or basement near a window
4. Water sparingly through winter — just enough to keep the soil from completely drying
5. Move back outdoors in late May when nights stay above 50°F

Successfully overwintered lantana breaks dormancy quickly in spring and blooms earlier than new transplants, often by several weeks. Large overwintered plants can be divided into two or three smaller plants before repotting for spring.