I wonder what types of lantana you're planting, Mark? There IS lantana that's cold hardy, and, I believe they're all either the original ham & eggs lanta (pink and yellow) or sports of ham & eggs, like Sonset, Sunrise and Miss Huff - Miss Huff is reportedly hardy in Atlanta.
I've never planted much verbena, so I can't offer any recommendations there.
MissSherry

Brazilian Verbena, (Verbena bonariensis), an annual, is an outstanding butterfly attractor in my area... it reseeds, and a bit too much, but since it comes back every year, does it matter?

I live in NE Oklahoma and I have an orange and yellow lantana that is perennial here in zone 7. I purchased it from a local nursery. I don't know the variety name. I just planted it this year and it was visited by BFs. I also have quite a few of my other lantanas make it through our winters. The colors that have come back include yellow, orange, red, and lavender. They always look dead in the spring, but I wait them out.

I have lots of verbena, too, and I wouldn't want to choose between the two. I just learned from Faith that lantana is actually in the same family as verbena.

Sandy

Yes, lantana is in the verbena family. I have found that if you have trouble with it making the winter, if you will trim it way back right before your first freeze (say to about 6-8 inches tall) and then mulch over it about 3 inches in depth with hay or leaves, it will come back in the spring. As Sandy points out, you just have to wait them out because they don't start showing growth here in SE OK until April and sometimes not until the end or maybe the first of May. I have one at the east side of my house but up at the north end of that side where it gets full wind in the winter and it is still there every spring. If you need plants, just let me know, because I have seedlings every spring that I try to find homes for. I have the native orange & yellow one. I even have one in a pot that I overwinter on the south side of my house under a blanket and last year when I finally took the blanket off it was already blooming (and we got 6 degrees for a low in January). Also, if you have hot dry semi-shade, Turks cap is pretty hardy and mine was covered last fall with GFs and Sulphurs. You might also consider a Vitex (Chaste Bush) for a hot dry area. Once they are established, they tolerate a lot of abuse and the butterflies and hummingbirds love them. I had three at my house north of Ft. Worth that got about 12-15 ft. tall and 10 ft wide. If I think of any more, I will come back and let you know.

Ms. Faith

Thanks all! I have the red/yellow and some purple. They didn't come back in 2007 and by their looks, won't this year either.

Ms. Faith, I trim my hibiscus like that and they make it so I may do the same to the lantana. I also have 2 vitex and many turks cap. I also have flame acanthus, 4 o'clocks, tourch sunflowers, many butterfly weeds, esparanza, jessamine, zinnia's and others. I have lots of seeds for the torch, 4pm's morning glories, rock rose, cardinal climber, etc. if you want some seeds. I could use a few seedlings for your lantana. If it survives your winters it would have no problem here.

If you all have never planted tourch sunflower, butterflies and hb's love it. It's like a big red zinnia.

Thanks, Mark

Mark,

I would be delighted to share my lantana seedlings with you. You can e-mail me at faithrgr8@yahoo.com and send me your address. It will be April or May before thay will be ready to send, but will definitely be glad to do so.

Ms. Faith