Lantana 'Mixed Hybrids, Noids'

This plant is known to be toxic to livestock and probably to humans. Check it on Google.

This Lantana grows incredibly well in our sandy, mildly alkaline soil and desert heat with an occasional watering. Once established, it ...Read Morewill die to the ground and regrow... possibly to be a huge fence hedge, despite our Zone 8a (and some years worse) winters. I have one that came as a volunteer via bird that somehow grew while having germinated from 5 inches beneath soil that I discovered when attempting to plant something else there. It has grown to 3 feet tall and will no doubt grow much taller and wider next year. It receives only part sun, as it is growing very near the house wall... but it does not seem to mind. Warning: it does like to drop seeds. You will get a colony if not well monitored.

This was my first summer planting with Lantana. Beautiful blossoms that are continuous. The three that I have grown in containers are doi...Read Moreng very well and are quite bushy, even now in early October with less direct sunshine during the day. Others, I had planted in my father's garden and never bloomed. Two weeks ago, I moved them to his rock garden and fed them Osmocote. They are all blooming now and in colors that I have not seen before. Such as a deep Marigold yellow/gold with red centers, Pale yellow with white centers and Pastel pinks with yellow.

Since I'm in Westwood, NJ- zone 6b, I decided to winter the plants in containers in a cold cellar. I hope I have luck with the 'wintering' process. In addition: I will use burlap to shield the plant from temps that are below 50 F
.
As for the poisonous leaves and flowers, I have not had a problem at all. I was amazed to discover that Lantana may be a problem in this respect. I am highly allergic to poison ivy / oak, but haven't experienced any problems. I like the citrus scent too!

Others have mentioned a foul scent. Perhaps it could be certain varieties of Lantana that produce a bad smell.

Overall, I am quite happy with this plant!

This plant has beautiful colorful flowers that are very tropical-looking and attract hummingbirds. Yet, its leaves have the most disagree...Read Moreable scent, at least to me. Some birds like to eat the fruits, causing it to spread like a weed.

I live in East Texas where the sandy loam on my property doesn't hold moisture very well and is acidic, so not many things grow well in i...Read Moret without lots of amending. This plant grows wild here, and a few neighbors have let it go along their fence lines, since it makes nice shrubs during the summer and generally dies back in the winter. I've been here 10 years, and it never has gotten outside of it's area, mainly because of the right-of-way being mowed a few times a year, plus the summer heat will scorch the seedlings if we don't get enough rain. It's an optimal native plant for xeriscaping.

in similar in appearance to the Florida endemic native Lantana species (Lantana depressa Small), the native has tapered or crenate leaf b...Read Moreases ..... the exotic species has a squared off or truncate leaf base. go with the native Lantana depressa

Usually I would put positive about plants, and if I put neutral, it's usually because it's a weed or out of control, but here in the UK t...Read Morehat will not happen. My neutral rating is down to its slow growth in our relatively cool summer climate. They are largely grown as annuals here, however I have put one in a pot, hoping to keep it going as a perennial by overwintering in an unheated greenhouse.

The plant itself has beautiful flowers, and if you touch the flowers they emit a scent similar to that of a passionfruit. The growth is very slow.. and I assume it much prefers warm conditions.. my estimation is that this plant will go into decline in winter without the hot sunshine.

The Native Florida Lantana is Lantana depressa.

Lantana Camara in from the west indies and is non-native and starving flor...Read Moreida native butterflies and destroying native habitats...in florida

Lowes / Home Depot and other garden centers who are selling this plant in florida are selling them because the consumer is buying them. When choosing a plant for your florida landscape, please research the plant carefully.

The non-natives are seeding and birds who eat them are droping them everywhere...thus destroying what habitats we have left. after the pythons have eaten all the rabbits and then the green dragon lizards that have eaten all the vegetation. ~ something to consider...
for details : http://www.fnps.org/palmetto/v23n1lantanacorrection.pdf

The plant I love , And love to hate ! It gets huge here and they look amazing . The deer wont touch it and the armadillos do not dig und...Read Moreer it BBBUUUTTT it self sows EVERYWHERE. I spend at least two weeks out of every month in summer pulling out of all my flowerbeds and off the fence line . In my humble opinion well worth the trouble for the amount of Hummingbirds and Butterflies it attracts . This year in Texas we had almost no rain and I think the stress of no moisture made them flower like mad and the added plus of the drought there was no baby lantana all over the place . It is a great plant that is a royal pain in the butt . I do however find it worth the trouble .

This plant overwinters very well in a cold dark basement! I leave mine out until near the first freeze (usually December 1st in downtown...Read More micro-climate of Philadelphia). I then cut it back to about a third of its size and put in a cool (50ºF) basement. It gets watered lightly about once a month. I pull it out in around March 1st and put it in some light in a warm room. By April 1st it's ready to go back outside (unless it's unseasonably cool). I've had the same plant for years and it seems to like the cycle. It does well in a warm well-lit window over the winter as well. Likes to be heavily pruned several times a year and grows back very quickly.

I live in Southeastern Arizona and have one of these plants pop up between my cement drive and cyclone fence! It grows there every year a...Read Morend last fall my caregiver cut it down to the ground! It came up this year more beautiful than ever and healthier, too!
I didn't know what this plant was until I came to this site! Now, after reading all the comments, I'm going to make some cuttings and try to grow this plant in one of my gardens, especially because the "cutter" ants won't bother it, as they have with all my other plants.
I picked a stem with some of the flowers and the little green beads, hoping to get seeds from the beads and to enjoy looking at the pretty flowers. I didn't wear gloves when I did this so apparently it is not a problem for me. Also, the plant that popped up, all by itself, hasn't spread anywhere else! So thanks to all of your comments and the fact that it is so pretty, attracking butterflies and hummingbirds, (which are very affluent in this area), I will also enjoy watching them come to my new plants.
Thank you, very much, everyone!
P.S. The flowers of my plant are pink and yellow.

I'm writing from Central Ohio, and I recently purchased 2 small multi-color lantana plants. Before reading about the toxicity of this pl...Read Moreant, I planted one of them in a terra cotta pot with a lovely rosemary specimen--intended for consumption. It sounds like I should separate them if I intend to use the rosemary in food. Thank you for the valuable information.

I live in Seattle, WA. Lantana camera bloomed all summer and in the fall I dug it up and potted it and put it in a cool bright room. In...Read More late winter it started to grow and try to bloom so I put it in a warmer room and in April I put it in the garden. The leaves turned dark then , but it kept growing and in June it started to bloom again. I bought 3 more because I love the way the flowers keep changing colors. It looks great with a yellow yucca.

I see so many of these here in southern Lake County that you would think they are native! They were and probably still are a very popular...Read More garden plant throughout all of Florida. They have since escaped cultivation and can be seen everywhere, so I doubt people are still planting these in their yards as often they were. However, they are beautiful and I love the fruity/peppery smell of the foliage. Flowers are small and dainty and come in all kinds of cool colors like lemon yellow, hot pink, deep orange, & lilac. Its invasive status is remarkable, but at least it's a pretty plant.

Funny when I read how invasive this is in Central FL. I've had the trailing lavender and a trailing white Lantana in my Garden for well o...Read Morever six years now. They freeze back sometimes but always come back. I keep them trimmed and love the constant flowers that they produce, pretty much all year long. Neither one is invasive and when everything else in my garden is frozen back these still have blooms and give the only color besides azaleas to my garden.
So many times tried the Lantana Camara. I see them growing wild on my walks in the woods around here, but every time I've ever planted the Camara it has died on me. I especially love the bright yellow and think it would look so nice mixed in with my white and purple, but again it dies.

I love this plant. Its blooms are abundant and very attractive. It has a pleasant fragrance, and it is not susceptible to disease or in...Read Moresect infestation. It is not invasive here in South Central Kansas (zone 6b), but it does grow very well. It grows as a perrenial here in kingman, KS if planted on the south facing side of a structure that receives direct sun for most of the day and protection from the North wind. If planted elsewhere it will grow as an annual.
The only draw back to this plant, if you can call it a draw back, is that it has to be dead headed in order to keep blooming profusely. Also the seeds/berries are very heavy and, if not dead headed, tend to weigh all the branches to the ground giving the plant a flattened out look. I may replace all of my Ham 'n Eggs lantanas with Miss Huff lantanas to avoid the dead heading.

I knew nothing of this plant when I bought it in a hanging basket from a local farmer's market in Hammonton, NJ. I was attracted by the p...Read Moreretty dual colored lavender & yellow blooms. When I hung it, the hummingbirds immediately arrived, along with dragonflies, butterflies, & bees. I couldn't be more pleased. Was surprised to learn of its toxicity. I've dead-headed spent flowers & handled the leaves frequently when watering & have had no allergic reaction. I found another variety with orange & gold flowers at a more commercial market & just hung that one. So far, the butterflies seem to like the new one more than the hummers. I'm going to try to overwinter these plants. I will be careful to shield them from kids & critters based on the info posted here.

On a recent trip to Hawaii, I saw this plant growing all over along the side of the road. It was very beautiful with its rainbow flowers ...Read Moreand all the butterflies who love the nectar. However it appeared to be quite invasive and smelled kind of foul...

I live in Louisiana about 30 miles north of New Orleans but I grew up in central Mississipp. Lantana was in my grandmother's garden along...Read More with Four O'Clocks, Crinnums, King Alfred daffodils and other common flowering plants. I love them! I planted three last year which were supposed to be the old-fashioned kind which Grandmother called ham and eggs. Only one came back this year which surprises me because my Angel Trumpets fared well through this past unusually cold winter. I have looked at our local garden centers and can only find pink Lantana that is called "annual." I was not aware that these are poisonous; however, our yard is enclosed with fence so no animals can get to them, nor do we have small grandchildren. I definitely have not found them to be invasive! But then I was told that about Four O'Clocks and found it not to be accurate for here where we are. They drop a lot of seed but have remained in the place where I originally planted them.

I grew up in Louisiana and always loved this plant. It is a perennial there. I don't know of anyone who considers it invasive.
...Read Morer /> Here in central New Jersey it is an annual. I have never heard that it was poisonous and never had a reaction to it in any way. One of my dogs like to eat the black berries. He shows no ill effect. I am going to try overwintering one this year by covering it with mulch.

Grows well in the Sandhills region of North Carolina, yet seldom is as invasive as it is farther south. Some varieties are not cold-hardy...Read More here, and nurseries seldom seem to specify hardiness for the Cape Fear/Sandhills regions of N.C.

The one person who reported insect damage on his plants seems to be describing damage from the herbicide glyphosate, especially in describing the distorted growth of a new shoot. The plant should recover from this. I suspect spray drift, possibly from a neighbor.

I live in central Alabama. We have red clay soil for the most part. Our latana is planted in partial shade, the mulch is mostly pine stra...Read Morew, with some cannon lillies and confederate rose. If anything, the rose has grown better than the latana. Our variety is the "ham and eggs".

Perhaps the reason why our latana hasn't proliferated to the extreme could be a combination of the soil (clay) and the partial shade environment. The most maintanance we've had to do is shape it up a bit after dead heading once every couple months during spring till mid-fall.

My favorite part of this plant is the berries. With the "ham and eggs" variety we have, the berries look like polished stones. Starting out as a beautiful green jade color, then turning into shiney black, almost like obsidian. I wonder if you could preserve the stalks with the berries for flower arrangements? I bet it would make a wonderful addition to any fall center piece.

I planted about 20 lantana about two months ago and they are really flourishing. But they're not blooming. I'm wondering if they have t...Read Moreo grow awhile before they bloom or if they need some kind of treatment.

Living in SE Georgia I remember Lantana was called a rattle snake plant because the rattle snakes loved eating the berries on the plants....Read More Therefore, we were told as kids to stay away from it as it grew everywhere in the woods. Now you can find it in any gardening store for every price in the book. Who says, "one man's weed is another man's flower"!

Unfortunately my neighbors on each side are renters who don't care about their yards. The lantana that probably rooted as "volunteers" i...Read Mores now trying to get through the fences on each side. On one side it's trying to choke out my Confederate jasmine, and on the other side it's trying to encroach on my asparagus patch. I'm sick of seedlings and sick of hacking at it on my side of the fence. I'm about to resort to the loppers and Roundup. Down here in Georgia if not closely monitored it can became a major pest. It is, however, a really attractive plant which makes me feel bad every time I attack it!

I planted a lantana several years ago in full sun and it has grown into a beautiful, very large shrub (5 feet X 5 feet?) that blooms all ...Read Moresummer. To protect it from freezing, I cut it back almost to ground level in the late fall and cover with several inches of mulch. In spring, it's almost the last thing to show signs of life. Surrounded by lawn, it's not invasive but it holds its own pretty well against nearby daylilies. We have sandy soil and moderate rainfall here in Tidewater Virginia.

No one noted any pest or disease for this plant and until last year I had never seen any problems. I had been growing lantanas for 30 yea...Read Morers. However, last year here in Houston, TX zone 9 All my lantanas were afflicted with some type of disease or pest which stopped the blooming, made mishapen leaves and eventually turned black in affected areas of the plant. I treated with Neem oil solution which did not seem to help so I cut them back to the ground and destroyed the cuttings. They came back fast and healthy but I notice that one of my plants seems to have some branches that appear to suffer some kind of genetic damage in that the branches have bizarre finely divided leafy growths on them. anyone ever see this?

When I was a child, my family visited Disneyland and we were so charmed by the topiaries everywhere, particularly some trained from lanta...Read Morena plants. So next Mother's Day, the favor at the Mother Child Banquet at the church was a lantana plant. My folks worked with it and trained it into a small tree about three feet tall. Don't remember how long it lasted, but it seemed really cool and unusual. Must try this again sometime.

My next experience was seeing it grow all over the place near the highways when I had a chance to visit Australia in my early 20's. Doesn't surprise me to read comments on here from Australians to be wary of it, as it did seem to grow rampantly.

We also had a lantana bush in Sarasota, Florida that was always very difficult to keep trimmed since it was a vacation home and sometimes long periods between visits. We were finally relieved of our duty to it when the neighbors installed a fence and removed it. So probably not a very advisable plant for Florida either.

But, for my positive rating - you just can't beat this plant for our hot Ohio summers. As long as you keep it watered and dead-headed, it will bloom and attract hummers and butterflies all summer. Maybe a few spells of not a lot of flowers, but whether it is in a hanging basket, grown in a pot, or planted in the ground as an annual - it is a real treasure for Ohio gardeners. We've had success wintering over plants in the greenhouse, but I have not been successful overwintering it in the home. However, I brought the whole hanging basket in. Thinking of making some cuttings in late summer that would just be small plants for overwintering and then they'd have a head start on next year.

Very important to remove spent blooms to keep continual blooming.

I grew up loving this plant, because I lived in town and enjoyed the butterflys. Now I live in the country and have learned that this pl...Read Moreant is poisonous to farm animals and as you see before me, dogs. I am at war to get rid of all that come up with round-up brush. I live in the center of Georgia.

Here in Zone 6B it is an annual, and it is gorgeous. I had a large potted specimen on my front walk last summer, and it drew so many rem...Read Morearks from people that I will definitely use it as a specimen agan this summer.

The plant must be deadheaded regularly in order to keep blooming and this MUST be done with gloves as touching the plant causes allergic reactions in everyone I've talked to about it.

Lantana is a common landscape plant throughout most of CA. I live in z9b/Sunset z9 and it is used in street medians to form hedges betwee...Read Moren the two sides, and pretty much every public landscape. I don't have one in my yard, but am thinking of adding some to a drought-tolerant/succulent garden.

Grown all over in z9b Central Cal. This is a favorite of both public and private landscapes, showing up in street medians, freeway landsa...Read Morepes (where it trails and dangles over everything). It is a butterfly magnet.

I planted 3 Lantana last summer. My garden is enclosed so I did not have to worry about my two dogs getting into it. I live right on the ...Read Morecusp of 7a/7b. These plants thrived,looked beautiful and attracted bees and butterflies better than the buddelia! I put down a weed barrier so I don't think they will reseed but I am hoping that they will come back this year. I debated whether to cut them back in fall or wait until spring..I decided to wait. I'll post if they come back (we had a couple of low temps; teens and once down to 8 degrees)

I love this plant as it reminds me of my Grandma. At a time when no water was ever "wasted" on flowers she always had one here in New Me...Read Morexico. My cousins and I would pick the bouquets and play "wedding" with them! LOL! They are perennials here and I love that the rabbits leave them alone. Otherwise I would have nothing but cactus, sage and BP outside my stucco walls. DH seems to have allergic reactions to them and I don't like the scent. I wear a mask and cut them back myself. Love that they need little more than cutting back once yearly and give me constant blooms from early spring until November.

I live in the northwest corner of Louisiana, Bossier City.

I have Lantana growing in full shade and it is 6' tall. It is p...Read Morelanted in a bed surrounded on three sides by concrete and my house on the other side, so it isn't invasive. I have bulbs planted in the same bed, and after they finish blooming the Lantana covers the whole bed. I cut it to the ground in winter and it comes back each spring.

Well, I had no idea that it was highly toxic! I have caught my dog chewing on the leaves for the past month now, but she hasn't shown an...Read Morey signs of poisoning, so I am assuming it is only actual consumption of the plant that causes poisoning. However, I do enjoy the flowers and the smell is nice ( in small amounts that is ) I will deffinately keep an eye on the animal activities around my lantana from now on!

Love this plant nothing brings on the butterlies like this one it is a nice ground cover and weed block. I sure don't like to pull weeds....Read More Roots eaily but I haven't had luck with seeds. Perennial here starts blooming in June will bloom all summer until hard frost. Flower colors get prettier as weather cools down. Plant dies back to roots after frost but recovers quickly every spring

WOW...this plant is everywhere and has its share of comments! We have had it for years and it is a dependable plant -- tolerant of frost...Read More and drought conditions...all the while producing vibrant blooms. I like the scent of the leaves and am fond of the varieties of coloring to be found.

I love this plant...so much so I just got another one with
the bright reddish flowers. The butterflies and bees love
them ...Read Moreand they add a lot of color to my yard.

This plant is one of the most notorious weeds in temperate and subtropical eastern Australia. If you google 'lantana' and 'Australia' yo...Read Moreu will come across countless websites about the invasive nature of this plant. Its problem is that it self-seeds like crazy.

Places where it is less invasive: (a) anywhere with dry summers; (b) anywhere with frosts. But even then take great caution and check your local regulations.

I saw this when I lived in California and planted it back in Washington State on a little island near Seattle and Tacoma. Even with our c...Read Moreooler temperatures because of the water if flurished in full sun. It lasted through October before it finally gave up. The only problem is the price for us up here because it isn't common :(

Houston, TX

I have it in a container - so it grows pretty much under control.

The lantanas seems to bloom i...Read Moren cycles - they have been blooming since April, but right now, mine seems to be resting.

I confirm that this plant is poisonous by what i read in literature, specially the seeds.

Lantana was the first plant I fell in love with as a child. I was walking in the field by our house and I saw a wild Lantana. I thought i...Read Moret was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! I went back home, got a butter knife,and sawed through a huge root and brought it home and planted it for my mom. It lived and I was hooked for life. I have Lantana all over my yard and it is gorgeous! I have yellow, lavendar, and several shades of the old Ham&Eggs variety,[like the one I got out of the field]. I've grown them for many years and have never seen them as a pestilence,or invasive. We live in south MS in a climate that is darn near tropical and Lantana has never reseeded in my yard. A lot of my friends grow this plant as well and love it. The smell is devine, I love it. I can't say enough good about Lantana, one of the very best things is the butterflies flock to it, last summer at my mom's we looked out her kitchen window and her yellow and pink Lantana had no less than 30-40 black and yellow swallowtail butterflies all over it. I knew right then, I will always have lovely Lantana in my garden.

While Lantana is a most attractive plant (I loved its pretty flowers and peppery aroma as a child) it has a great danger of being strongl...Read Morey invasive is situations it finds suitable. It has been declared a class two noxious weed in tropical North Queensland, Australia. Having escaped domestic and public gardens it has taken no time to invade temporate and rain forest and swamps.
Beware plantings in all tropical areas.

This plant grows wild on our ranch in Boerne,Texas (NW of San Antonio). The deer dont eat it and we have run over the bushes with our tru...Read Moreck and trailer hundreds of times. I can't believe that the ones on the dirt roads still return year after year. We have had a pretty bad drought for almost two years now (since Hurricane Katrina and Rita) and they are still fighting stong.

Quick note: Most plants from Brazil should not be planted anywhere in Florida! If you look at the lines of lattitude from the equator, F...Read Morelorida is about the same as parts of Brazil, hence the reason Florida is having so many "tropical" invasive problems. Lantana is a weed! Do not plant it! It may be pretty, and butterflys enjoy it, but eventually you will not. It has choked out an entire garden of mine, even with aggressive cut-backs. If you have it "growing naturally" in your yard, the reality of it is is that there are birds bringing the seeds from someone else's property. There are many other plants that are enjoyed by wildlife that are not as invasive, and as poisonous.

This plant is invasive in irrigated areas of southwest Arizona. There was some already in the backyard when we bought our house. It is no...Read Morew over 6 feet tall and very hard to contain. We spend half our summer hacking it back. The bees seem to really like it tho.

This is a pretty weedy plant, and, I thought, hard to kill here in Southern California where it is used all over freeway plantings, publi...Read Morec landscaping, etc... makes a nice colored wall, but plant is not a 'nice' plant- grows aggressively, and can be very irritating to deal with if you forget to use gloves (lots or urticating hairs that are quite annoying).

But yesterday I also discovered it is quite a bit more cold sensitive than its 8a climate listed above would have me expect... I live in zone 9b, bordering on 10a... yet a freeze we got 2 nights ago melted mine to the ground. Obviously it will come back?? Why I even have it in my yard I don't know ('peer' pressure from othe household members, actually). But now, if I hurry, I can dig it out with the excuse it died during the freeze. Just surprised this happened at all. 27F is below this plants limit to maintain leaves, in case you were wondering.

Lantana that you buy in garden centers that are in hanging baskets are the PERFECT plant for very hot porches and decks that have full su...Read Moren. They bloom non-stop and attract butterflies. They come in many beautiful colors, and look fresh even in the long days of summer, when nothing else is
blooming in my area. Keep out of reach of children and pets, and enjoy their blooms and the butterflies all summer long.

My grandmother planted one of these near her porch years ago. Every year since then I have seen more and more of them coming up in her ya...Read Morerd that she didn't plant. It is even spreading into the pasture next to her house. If you live in zone 8 or above, this one is a potential invasive.

Hello everyone. I thought that I would add my two little cents in here. Lantana is one of my favorite plants. It is a butterfly magnet an...Read Mored I love to watch them. In my experience this is a must have flower to have in your garden.

I have a Lantana bush like the one in the picture with the pink and yellow flowers, and it has come back every year for nearly 30 years. ...Read More It has thrived in our Texas heat and drought and just keeps on blooming!!! I dont' think I have ever actually watered it!

I am so glad to read the post above this one, I was beginning to think that I am the sole survivor of the Lantanna Poison!!!
My plant came from a cutting from my Mother and hers from her Mother. When I was a small child I remember distincly picking the little flowers off my Grandmothers bush and sticking the end to my tongue to taste the sweet nectar... and I am fine! Well...some may argue that point and say maybe that is what is wrong with me!!! But I am alive anyway.....LOL

This plant is recognized as a medicinal plant in Puerto Rico. I had not heard of poisonous accidents with this plant. I also found a good...Read More description of the medicinal properties of this plant in the Philippines. Many of this uses there are the same as in Puerto Rico.

Remember that what could kill and animal not necessarily affect humans. For example chocolate could easily kill a dog in a few hours but is harmless to humans that are not allergic to it. (and I had seen very "wise" people sharing chocolate bars with his fellow canines friends)

Love the lantana that I've been growing! Bloomed all summer and still going in Fall. I didn't know it came in pastel colors! I've grown...Read More the red/orange/yellow variety in my container garden even though I have a pastel garden. I've always liked it so much that I threw it in with the pastels anyway. I'm going to look for a pink/white one next year. The hummingbirds love the flowers. I grew up in Southern California where my neighbor had a HUGE bush that we called butterfly bush because the skippers (and bees) used to just cover the bush all summer. I now know that it was Lantana. I've never noticed any smell to this plant!

I picked my varieties for the wonderful color combos. Mine were waiting to be planted in a windowbox but I ran out of space so I just st...Read Moreuck them straight in the ground. Unfortunately, my DH hasn't been able to work in that bed since then! Now I know why he comes back from weeding with an itchy, uncomfortable rash! I sure wish they were hardy in my zone, but next time I'll stick with the container plan.

There are so many other plants that are toxic yet grown for their beauty of foliage or flower....both indoor & outdoor varieties. Taking ...Read Morethe time to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the plants one has is both practical (with the protection of unknowing human & animal in mind) and interesting. The fact that so many butterflies, moths and birds benefit from the Lantana...
as well as the beauty it provides...and its hardiness.....makes it a desirable plant in my books.

I grow lantana Miss Huff which is marginally hardy in Zone 7. Since it is very vigorous, it will winter over here, but it may not show an...Read Morey new growth
until late April or May. Don't get impatient (as a friend did) and dig it up.
It will be fine. And it will make up for lost time, growing very fast in Spring and Summer. That said, it's a good idea to plant it in a sheltered spot and
mulch it. Pluses: Very easy to grow, very vigorous, very pretty flowers and foliage, one of the very best butterfly plants, insect and disease proof, an instant shrub. A 6 inch wide tiger swallowtail feeding on the delicately-colored flowers is a sight to see! Ours flourished with only 6 solid hours of sun. LOVE IT. One other plus: Lantana is very popular here.
I purchased mine at a discount store for $1.00 -- a real find!

I love this plant and I love the smell. I have no idea why anyone considers the smell "noxious" but they also must consider most herbs no...Read Morexious as well as this plant has a definitive herb scent. The leaves and flowers have a citrus-sage smell. It is, after all, a member of the verbena family. I think it's so funny how those below zone 8 love it and those south of it (especially in Florida) find it to be a pest! It is not invasive north of zone 8 and is considered a perennial only from zone 8 and south. I think most people should heed the warnings about pets and this plant, though. It is poisonous. One person told me her dog eats the leaves, but from what is written on this page, I would discourage this. I surely could understand some sensitivity to this plant's leaves, as the oils in the leaves are very strong. I had a lovely large shrub variety which was blown down last October and it broke my heart. Luckily, this plant is easy to get on eBay and starting to become very popular at garden centers in my area and I have lots of plants and seeds. I have some wonderful varieties, even a beautiful sunny yellow variegated leaf variety, and wish I could get more. They are lovely in containers and hanging baskets. The purple variety smells a bit like lilacs. It's a happy plant and brings butterflies, bumble bees and sometimes hummingbirds to your garden. So don't be discourage by the naysayers who claim this plant "stinks" ... you're better off to listen to the birds, bees and butterflies instead! Mother Nature knows best!

After 30 years, even a fleeting whiff of Lantana leaves unlocks some of my happiest childhood memories. I grew up in the Hollywood Hiils,...Read More where Lantana grows wild. I spent countless happy afternoons hiking there, the hot, dry, and clear California air perfumed with Lantana's intoxicating herby aroma. I used to break the leaves and devour their spicy scent. It's one smell that I would not want to live without.

Lantana are fast growing here on the gulf coast. I put in a bed of five plants about 3 years ago; we trim them to the mulch in winter. Th...Read Moreey come back each year strong and fast. I have trained some of mine to grow up a chainlink fence. Butterflies seem to love them.

I don't water mine particularly often, but they seem to do just fine.

I also took some cuttings and rooted them in a hanging basket. This basket has grown well even without full sun.

I love this flowering bush, It grows naturally all over my yard, Beautiful Flowers all Spring and Summer and Bright Colors of Orange and...Read More Pink. It can be a little tough to prune in the spring due to the little thorns and the smell is a bit strong from the leaves but it is worth it when you see those flowers.
I give this an A+ for a natural Florida plant.

This is my favorite of the spring and summer hanging basket "annuals" around here (Pittsburgh, PA zone 6a). It's astoundingly colorful an...Read Mored blooms until the frost kills it off.

Growing it in a hanging basket is also a good idea to keep the plant away from pets, since it is toxic, as others have commented.

I could see how it would be a problem plant if it was hardy enough to survive the winters, but here in the north, it's a just a lovely annual.

I planted this in my back yard not really knowing how it would grow. It thrived all summer and bloomed beatifully. I cut it back in fall ...Read Moreand I do not see any new growth coming back as yet. I've been searching to find this plant as I would like to plant more. They are unique and extremely beatiful. I intend to purchase more colors this year.

I'm considering naming my home "Casa Lantana" because my 1/2 acre property was covered with Lantana camara when I bought my house three y...Read Moreears ago, and they remain prevalent today. I respect their right to have a place in my garden since they were here first, so I transplant most of them (they pop up everywhere!) from the middle of the yard to the very back of the flowerbeds along the fences.

I've found them very responsive to espalier treatment and this tends to reduce their otherwise gangling, leggy habit of bushing out too much. I can whack them back viciously and they just keep on growing. They repay my attacks by giving me broken skin and itchy hives, as I am one of those very allergic to their leaves.

They are basically perennials in my climate (Zone 8b/9a). I have mostly the light lavender/cream colored variety, but also have a few of the orange flowered. As mentioned previously, the butterflies love them!

In our very sandy soil and due to the lantana root system consisting of mainly a tap root with a few lateral roots, I've never been able to transplant one without it coming up bare root. They go into complete transplant shock for about 2 weeks, usually losing all their leaves and looking like a dead twig, but then suddenly rebound with no attention or special care and leaf out completely on the existing branches.

I have more than an ample supply to share. If you want some, trades are welcome.

Jeremy

I love this native, looks great in my garden and takes our Texas heat like nothing else will...

Here in Australia,climate approx. 9b,Lantana is a great survivor,flowering well most of the year yet in the wetter warmer tropics it is a...Read Moren absolute garden thug.Australians spend millions trying to eradicate it from natural vegetation areas and National Parks.

I love these plants - they are so forgiving of dry, hot summer weather and just bloom their hearts out!! I am probably glad they are not...Read More winter hardy, because I am sure, based on the growth in my zone, that they could pose a problem if unchecked.

I love lantana because they're so easy. They don't mind the baking heat and full sun, but the ones on the northeast side of my house got ...Read Morereally large this year (about 5ft wide), so they seemed to do even better when given afternoon shade. Lantana is an annual in my 7a garden so I don't have to worry about it being invasive or weedy. The winters kill them completely here. I don't think I would grow them otherwise, I can see how they might become too large.

I find it funny that one mentioned either loving or hating this plant- when I was little it grew in my yard as a weed and I couldn't stan...Read Mored it. My dad called it "stink-flower". But since my butterfly gardening addiction has gotten the best of me : ) my views have changed. Now I love it and I have four kinds of lantana in my garden- including this one. It blooms well, grows really fast and I even like the smell. Go figure!

I love this plant. My lantana bush (radiation) is now almost 6' tall and 8' wide. Its brilliant display of orange, red, and yellow flow...Read Moreers is simply unmatched by any other flowering plant. I love the citrus scent that the leaves give off when crushed. The bush flowers most of the year. I've had the plant for about 2 1/2 years and it is a very fast grower. It loves the heat and requires very little maintenance. I trim most of the plant back once a year during winter and trim it occasionaly to promote more flowers. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are attracted to this plant. It is poisonous and can be intrusive if it is not cut back once in a while.

I must agree, Lantana camara is a pretty invasive weed here in Central Florida.

It seems that people either love or hate this plant. As for me, I love it and highly recommend it if you want an easy plant that can take...Read More the heat and give you uninterrupted blooms all spring summer and fall.

Hummingbirds are very attracted to this plant. I love its beautiful red, orange and yellow flowers, and it does best in hot, dry weather....Read More Also, I love the scent. It smells like lemons to me. Nice in hanging baskets and planters on the patio.

It is pretty and prolific but I have severe allergies to this plant and cannot touch it. Just pruning turned into a bout of painful rashe...Read Mores when the vines would poke through my long sleeved shirt. The odour is also very unpleasant to me.

I have two Lantanas I have groomed into trees. One must be 10 years old the other 8 or 9. They are potted due to my Chicago climate and...Read More must come in in the winter. I'll try to get a digital photo to post but meantime try it, they make a real attention getter when they go into bloom. They are now between 6 and 8 feet tall but I groom back in the fall each year. Pot size becomes a problem.

I grew Lantana from seeds this year. It's a very lovely plant and virtually pest free for me. It has flowered all summer and is still flo...Read Morewering. The flowers smell very good. The seed and foliage have different smell. Which isn't a good smell.. But I planted it for show..Overall it's a very nice plant.

I live in Nj. First time planting Lantana. Doing very well through July so far. Happy to find out it is perennial.

I am planning on adding this plant to my garden shortly. My grandparents had some in their garden & my neighbor has some. My dog likes ...Read Moreto eat the plant clear down to the ground if I let him . . . . so I was wondering if anyone knew of any medicial properties this plant has?

I live in Las Vegas, NV

I wanted to inform you that we have lost our baby 2-year old border collie "Ellee" to this plant c...Read Moreommon to most backyards called "Lantana" also known as Lantana Camara.

On June 22, 2004, my son caught Ellee grazing on the plant and pulled her away. The next day she had flu-like symptoms: nausea (her tummy hurt as she wanted me to continually rub it), diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargic, dehydrated and heavy panting. When we took her to the vet, she had already began hemorrhaging internally and had renal failure. She went downhill in a matter of hours. We put her to rest June 24, 2004.

We had no idea that this plant was poisonous or we would have never planted it. We were never informed at the nursery when we made our purchase of the toxic plant that killed our pet.

Please inform others as we are about this plant to prevent further harm.

Gotta' add another positive rating to this plant. In Texas, there are so few plants that thrive in high summer that this one is worth gr...Read Moreowing, even with any danger ~ especially if you plan to grow it inside a fenced area where livestock can't go.

In Florida and other Southern States this is a noxious weed and EXTREMELY POISONOUS TO LIVESTOCK AND HUMANS. It spreads by the birds eat...Read Moreing the berries and everywhere they leave droppings more of these come up. They are IMPOSSIBLE TO KILL - I have tried everything from sprays to digging them up. I have lost livestock to this plant and I attack it aggressively everytime I see just one small plant starting in my pasture. PLEASE GROW THESE WITH CAUTION.

Here is more info on the poisionous aspect of these plants:

From the West VA State University web site:

"TOXICITY

This ornamental shrub contains lantanin, a triterpenoid, and other compounds irritating to the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. All parts of the plant are quite toxic and poisoning may occur year-round, but is most common in summer and fall. Many poisoning cases occur when clippings are thrown into the pasture.

Sheep, cattle, horses, and humans are sensitive to the effects of the plant. Children have been poisoned by eating the berries.

SYMPTOMS

Cattle are most often affected. There are two forms of toxicity: acute and chronic. The acute form usually occurs within 24 hours after eating the plants with the animal exhibiting gastroenteritis with bloody, watery feces. Severe weakness and paralysis of the limbs are followed by death in three to four days. The chronic form is characterized by jaundiced mucous membranes, photosensitization, ulcerations of the mucous membranes of the nose and oral cavity. The skin may peel, leaving raw areas that are vulnerable to blowfly strike and bacterial infection. Severe keratitis may result in temporary or permanent blindness. "

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GA WEB SITE:

" Description: Lantana is a common ornamental plant. The plant has spreading stems and opposite leaves. The flowers form clusters that are flat-topped and range in color from red-orange to yellow. Lantana poses several problems to the farmer in that ingestion of the plant causes liver damage in animals, the plant inhibits the growth of other plants surrounding it (this includes grasses or other animal fodder), and this plant infests potential pastures causing a decrease in fodder for the animals.
Toxic Part: The entire plant is toxic.
Toxin: The toxic compounds are currently disputed but are believed to be lantadenes, a group of triterpenes.
Symptoms: This plant has demonstrated toxicity when ingested by cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats. Poisoning occurs after ingestion of a significant amount of foliage (3mg foliage/kg body weight) at one time. The toxicity is not cumulative and not all species of Lantana are toxic. Symptoms of toxicity in animals include photosensitive dermatitis followed by necrosis of large areas of the skin, jaundice and yellowing of the mucous membranes, and loss of appetite with a decrease in ruminal motility. This decrease in ruminal motility may be a reaction to damage to the liver by the toxic constituents of the plant. L. camara poses several problems to the rancher in that ingestion of the plant causes hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity), the plant inhibits growth of nearby grasses and other potential fodder, and this plant infests potential pastures causing a decrease in fodder for the animals. In severe cases death may occur within two days or one to three weeks post-poisoning.
Treatment: Activated charcoal is a successful treatment for Lantana toxicity in animals. "

I really don't understand why people say the smell of the lantana is nice. Lots of lantana plants grow here in Singapore and many people,...Read More including myself, think that the smell is horrible. In fact, both the Malay and Chinese names for lantana mean 'chicken droppings flower' because of its smell. I think that it is a nice, colourful plant, but I still find the smell very horrible.

I love this plant! It's up against the barn and gets as tall as 7', it was here when we purchased. Oh, when covered with butterflies it ...Read Moreis absolutely breathtaking :)

I planted 2 of these last year. They grew rapidly and were my favorite plants in the garden. However, this year while all of my other pla...Read Morents are full of foliage these 2 lantanas are just sticks. It is now late April and I thought I would have foliage beginning back by now. I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Does anyone know if these are just late bloomers?

Both the orange and the purple variety grow wild in North East Florida. I mow hundreds of them every year as they propigate from seed eas...Read Moreily. I plant them along my fence in alternating intervals...purple, orange, purple, orange, etc. My daughter loves the way the blooms change from purple with yellow or red with orange. The berrys look like blackberries so warn small children NOT to eat them.

Fabulous low-maintenence bloomer for me - blooms year round if kept deadheaded. Difficult to start from seed (cuttings are better!) but a...Read More great candidate for winter sowing if you dare ...

Lantana grows very well here in Bonneau, South Carolina (U.S.) - likes full sun!

I have used both L. camara and L. montevidensis for separate purposes. Both are very invasive and wild here in this part of...Read More Florida.

I have the white L. montevidensis to hide the ugly trunk of a big tree, while the multi-colored L. camara has been used in various spots throughout the yard. Both thrive in total neglect, in flood or in drought, in full sun or in partial shade, with or without fertilizer.

The reward of having this weed in your property is that you get to see butterflies all day long.

I would say this plant is a naturalized wildflower rather than an invasive weed due to its colorful flowers that attract butterflies. He...Read Morere in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, it is not all over the place--you just see it occasionally along the roadside--more often out by a mailbox and along private driveways where it has probably been deliberately planted. And when I was growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast it was naturalized along the medians in almost pure sand by the seawall--often it was the only plant growing there!

In St. Petersburg, Florida, zone 9b, I grew the solid lavender type, probably L. montevidensis, but it didn't do as well as the L. camara, the multicolored common lantana of my childhood. In fact it died out after only a few years--I never understood why, as L. montevidensis is supposedly hardier than L. camara.

The Southern Living Garden Book lists 17 named varieties or hybrids of L. camara, so there should be a lantana color to please anyone. I'm planning on growing several colors out by my gates on a dirt road, as that is my sunniest spot here in zone 8b.

November 12, 2003: Found some huge plants--about four feet tall and in full bloom--growing in a long patch behind a commercial building yesterday. They are lovely pastel colors--creamy yellow, lavender and a pale pink--so I took some cuttings, removed the flowers and deleafed all but the top few small leaves, and stuck the cuttings into a pot filled with only my sandy soil. I watered the pot heavily, and stuck the pot into my very damp, improvised greenhouse where I am overwintering some tender plants in pots.

This is the first time I have tried cuttings from this plant--I collected some of the bright green seed too, but it may not be ripe enough. I may be too late in the season, but I couldn't resist the pretty colors and vigorous growth. The flower colors really stood out against the dark green, crinkled leaves. And I didn't find the smell that objectionable--spicy is a good word for it.

Lantana camara is a pretty invasive weed in central Florida (U.S.), and even if grown in a garden situation, needs a lot of prunin...Read Moreg to keep it from becoming leggy and very widely spreading.

I have to pull seedlings of it out of my garden beds, even though I don't grow the plant in my garden! I would suggest growing the much better behaved native Lantana depressa, or the non-native but easily controlled Lantana montevidensis instead.

San Antonio, TX
Love the plant and like its odor. PLEASE NOTE: ALL PARTS of this plant are POISONOUS if eaten and can be FATAL. T...Read Morehis plant causes dermatitis in some individuals (For example:Me!). Be sure to wash your hands (arms and/or other body parts if applicable) after handling. It is an introduced (naturalized) plant in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah) and the Virgin Islands. It is a native in Puerto Rico.

This plant is listed as a Category I Invasive Exotic plant in all areas of Florida. It is a weed that does very well on its own, and is ...Read Moreloved by butterflies.

The flowers are beautiful, but the foliage has an unpleasantly strong odor.

In the 1980s, we planted some yellow, lavender, and white Lantana that we purchased from a nursery. The first to die was the white, the ...Read Morenext was the purple, and finally the yellows died. Very frustrated, I decided to look for the old wild kind, like my Grandmother use to grow.

One day in the 1990's, my son and I were downtown where a parking lot used land from an old homestead. We noticed that on the bayou side, along with weeds and scrub trees, there was an old wild Lantana in bloom. My son was able to reach a couple of small pieces with roots.

We now each have an old fashion Lantana growing in our yards, just like my Grandma and other country folks use to have. The old wild variety have flowers with multiple colors. The same colors that can be found when staring into a plate of ham and eggs. That is the only name I heard the old country people call this bush, when I was a little girl ... "Ham & Eggs"!

The flowers have always fascinated me, with shades of pinks, lavenders, yellows, oranges, all on one flower. To me, it smells herbal, like something you might use to flavor a stew. I am so happy with my wild antique Lantana bush. I have it planted in the mailbox garden.

In the Fall when the branches turn brown, we cut it down to the ground. In the Spring it grows back about four feet tall and just as wide. It blooms till late Summer. The birds and butterflies both love it. My husband has to trim it slightly during it's growing season, just to keep it from getting too leggy and wild-looking.

Look around the grounds of old homesteads and you may be able to find an old wild Lantana. Nothing seems to bother them down here in South Louisiana (U.S.)

They are easy to grow, come in lots of varieties, and butterflies seem to be especially attracted by their flowers.

I love lantana. It is very hardy and makes an elegant showing in beds across my front yard. The past three summers they have been beautif...Read Moreul until frost. This year, however, many of the bushes stopped blooming in September and leaves turned whitish and look diseased. I am searching for information on how to prevent that. My red lantana is still fine; it is the yellow spreading variety that I am concerned about.

There are two types of Lantana sold here in northern California (U.S.): shrubby types and trailing types, in a variety of colors. The sh...Read Morerubs (actually sub-shrubs, they don't get much over 3 feet tall) are hardy and bushy. The trailers are good for groundcover (although they'll mound pretty high as the plants intertwine) or planters.

Interesting how others comment on fragrance -- my friends and I find the smell rather objectionable, a mixture of mint and camphor with a touch of onion, is how I've described it. They are drought-resistant, deer-resistant, bug-proof, and vigorous.

This is a heat-resistant, drought resistant, bug resistant plant that blooms all summer in our yard. I cut it completely back to the gro...Read Moreund in the fall after frost. It comes back strong and beautiful. I have no trouble moving parts of it. I also dig up new plants that have seeded in the grass, and all have survived.

Just to add; they can be cut back drastically if they become too "weedy", at which time you can give it interesting shapes. Leaves have ...Read Morea spicy smell. Mockingbirds love the berries and butterflies love the blooms. Good to plant where nothing else will grow. They can tolerate sandy soil and little water.

This plant is native to South America. It is a wonderful bloomer and brightens up sunny areas. Interestingly, though, it is considered ...Read Morea weed in parts of Australia.

A good pot plant for the summer months in the UK. Excellent grown as a standard. I also grow in the greenhouse as a nectar plant for butt...Read Moreerflies. There seem to be at least 7 colour forms, from pure white through yellow, pink, orange and red. Most flowers change colour as they age. Easy to propagate from semi ripe cuttings. Self seed readily in the greenhouse, but don't flower until the following year. Fine spines on the leaves and stems can pierce the skin and cause irritation.

I have planted Lantana for the past couple of years and have found out that the yellow variety seems to do better in my yard. I have neve...Read Morer heard of anyone growing the plant from seed, but my Grandmother has multiplied hers by cuttings. I had a neighbor who left hers overwinter and it came back but did not bloom as well as the year before. We are in Zone 8.

A tender perennial treated as an annual in colder parts of the country. A favorite because of its tough nature (I planted three around m...Read Morey mailbox, next to hot asphalt and concrete, where they positively thrived.