Lantana: flowering time and how to plant & propagate
From yellow to orange to red to pink – the colourful play of colours of the lantana delights all summer long.
Whether in shades of sunset or pure white, the flower of the lantanas (Lantana) is not only beautiful to look at, but also enriches pollinators with its nectar. Everything about the flowering time to the location and propagation of lantana you will learn in this article.
Contents
Lantana: origin and characteristics
The lantana includes the eponymous plant genus Lantana and is a member of the Verbenaceae family. Among the best known of the approximately 111 Lantana species is Lantana camara, whose cultivated hybrids are cultivated as popular ornamentals in this country. Originally, Lantana is native to the tropics and subtropics of the American continent, where it is also more widespread. Since the wild species is now spreading invasively in the tropical areas of South Africa, Australia, and Central and South America, its cultivation there has been stopped. In Europe, especially in northern latitudes, the woody plant survives only as a potted plant in the garden or on the terrace. At the same time, with proper care and overwintering, these shrubs can still grow very old.
In nature, the perennial lantana grows overhanging into a bushy shrub with a height of up to 3m. For balcony culture Lantana most often sold as a standard tree. In this form, the upright stem of lantana reaches a height of growth of only 50-150cm. The small, wintergreen lantana leaves are dark green in colour with toothed edges and ovate-lanceolate to roundish in shape. In addition, they have a leaf surface covered with “hairs”, so-called trichomes, which serves as protection against evaporation during the hot season.
During its flowering period between May and October, the lantana forms numerous head-shaped flowerheads, studded with many densely packed tubular flowers. The heads have a diameter of about 3cm and spread a subtle fragrance. The flower of the lantana changes its colour during the flowering period from yellow to orange to red. Depending on the variety, the flower also appears in white or pink. As a result, the different stages of flowering often results in a colourful mix of colours within such a “head”. The colourful blossoms are not only beautiful to the human eye. The lantana is also a rich source of nectar for bees and other pollinators. The lantana is best known as a butterfly plant. The flower then develops into spherical, shiny black, poisonous drupes. These are poisonous to us and other animals, only birds do not turn their noses up at them.
The most beautiful varieties
The commercially available varieties of lantana are mostly hybrids of the species Lantana camara and other species. These include mainly lantana, whose colour changes from bright yellow to orange to red or pink when exposed to light. Alternatively, reverse colour gradients are also offered. Depending on preference, there are even monochromatic varieties of lantana available, which have pure white, pink or yellow flowers. Here we present the most beautiful varieties of lantana:
- Lantana camara ‘Luxor Red’: Red flower without colour change; flowering as early as early April; continuous flowering throughout the summer; no seed formation; tall growth of 100 – 150 cm.
- Lantana camara ‘Luxor Yellow’: Yellow flower without colour change; flowering from early April; long flowering; without seeds; very high heat tolerance; growth height of 100 – 150 cm.
- Lantana camara ‘Tropic Lantana®’: colour changes from yellow to orange and to pink; bushy habit; late blooming between June and October; tall habit of 60 – 150 cm.
- Lantana camara ‘Bicolour’: Bicolour flower, mostly orange-yellow with pink border; without colour change; flowering from June to October; high growth height of 60 – 150 cm.
- Lantana camara ‘Havana’: colour changes from yellow to orange to pink; blooms from June to October; bushy and upright growth between 60 and 150 cm tall.
- Lantana camara ‘Avalanche’: Pure white flower; medium height of growth of 50 – 60 cm; upright and bushy habit.
Tip: The changing colour spectrum of the lantana flower provides insects with information about which flower still contains pollen and which is no longer worth approaching. The younger, productive flowers are located in the centre of the head and can be identified by their lighter colouration, while the outer, already fertilised flowers are darker in colour.
Planting lantana: where and how
An original tropical inhabitant, the lantana thrives best in warm locations. In addition, in order for Lantana to unfold its full flowering splendour and grow well, it should be placed in a sunny place. If the place is too dark, the formation of flowers will suffer. Since the shrub is not winter-hardy, it is recommended to cultivate the lantana not in the bed, but as a potted plant on the balcony or terrace, so that it can be put it in a warm place during the cold season. It is best to place the lantana plant on a wind-protected, warm wall of the house. The lantana can be planted from mid-May after the last frosts. Here, the pot size should be at least 50 cm in diameter for a 100 cm high specimen. For pot culture, a high-quality potting soil such as our peat-free Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost is suitable. With its moderate nutrient content, our peat-free substrate provides your frugal Lantana with all the essentials for growth and flowering. In addition, it is easily rewettable and can thus be moistened well after a longer watering break. Since the shrub does not tolerate any waterlogging, the base of the tub should be covered with a layer of expanded clay to ensure adequate drainage.
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Tip: As a fairly undemanding and soil-tolerant plant, Lantana is more likely to suffer from overkill than from short-term drought or nutrient deficiency. However, pests such as the white fly can trouble it in the winter quarters, but this can also be controlled with biological pesticides.
Propagation
Lantana can be propagated in different ways. For example, cultivation is possible by means of self-obtained seeds. However, this one proves to be a bit more time-consuming. The simplest way to grow new seedlings is to propagate them by cuttings:
- In summer or autumn, cut off about 10 cm of an annual, somewhat woody shoot above the leaf node.
- Cut the cutting a little at the bottom, remove the lowest leaves and put the shoot about 2 cm deep in a pot, filled with a growing medium such as our Plantura Organic Herb & Seedling Compost and a 40% sand content – thereby promoting root formation due to the reduced nutrient content.
- Press down on the substrate lightly.
- Cover the cutting with a plastic film as a growing hood.
- Pot the put in a bright, warm place and keep at a temperature of 20 °C.
- Aerate the young plant once a day for 20 min.
- Root formation is recognisable after about 3 – 4 weeks from the new leaf formation.
- Remove the propagation cap, plant the cutting in a larger pot and place it in a warm as well as bright location.
Are lantana poisonous?
All parts of the plant are poisonous to cats, dogs and humans, so small children and pets in particular should keep their distance from the plant. Contact with the black berries in particular should be avoided. If you want to prevent the formation of the fruit, you should remove the faded flowerheads.
The summer flowers of the lantana can also delight inexperienced hobby gardeners, as the frugal plant is considered to be extremely easy to care for. We will show you how to care for lantana in our special article.
