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California Gardening

looking for advice on sick lantana

11 years ago

I noticed recently that the lantana plants in my front yard seem to be affected by powdery mildew - many of the leaves also have black spots (is that a result of the mildew or something different?).

I heard these types of problems occur more frequently when the lantana is growing in a shaded area. These plants are in shade for half of the day -- full sun in the morning hours. I trimmed off much of the affected areas on the plants though I wasn't able to get everything.

Is it worth it to try and see if I can nurse the plants back to health now that they've been thinned out some, or does it really just need to be in a place that gets full sun for a longer portion of the day?

Would you be able to suggest a plant that would do well in a more shaded area? I live in San Diego (Normal Heights) and would love to use plants that are more native to the area -- especially ones that would be attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.

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Comments (6)

hosenemesis
11 years ago
Hummingbird sage is good for partial shade, it's native, and hummers love it, of course. It smells very nice, and I like the flowers. It can get mildew and sometimes it gets budworms. Sorry I can't be of any help on the lantana question.
Renee
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
11 years ago
Lantana is a full sun plant, for sure. I plant it here in those places where most plants can't take the heat. Our winter cold frosts it back, and after the frost we cut it back to about a foot from the crown. In your climate it probably does not frost, but I would cut it back anyway to get rid of the old growth, in the spring. That might help with the mildew problem. Al
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I guess they are native plants somewhere in the world - probably think of them as weeds at these locations. I think we all learn through experience, mistakes, and outright neglect. At least the cold didn't kill the plant so it may have made it stronger? My sister-in-law and her husband bought a corn plant when they visited us about 35 years ago for our youngest daughter's 5th birthday. Middle of January and it was in the 70's. My wife took them to the major family owned (at the time) chain nursery in the Atlanta area and her sister bought a corn plant. The weather changed from 70's (short sleeve weather) to single digits overnight. Their vehicle at the time was a Chevy S-10 with a cap on it. They put the corn plant in the bed and my BIL said he watched that plant turn black on their return trip to Nashville (normally a four hour drive but longer this trip due to snow). It was dead (at least that is what they surmised). So I can see how your plant could get some cold damage carrying it around outside in freezing weather even if only for an hour. Sensitive aren't they? I don't know if Dracaena is monocarpic or not. The ones in Maui certainly didn't look like flowering ever hurt them? The couple who owned the garden (six acres?) provided lunch for the tour van and sold cuttings and other Hawaiian hand made knick-knacks. Here is a sample of their cuttings (expensive if you ask me)
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kathi_mdgd
11 years ago
My experience with lantana,is that it is hard to kill.Mine must be close to 30 years old,actually now that i think of it,it is older than that.The reason i know that is it is something i had before dh retired from the Marine Corps in 74.I was still working then and i remember i came home from work one day and he had scalped it.Mind you he knew nothing about plants and such,and thought he was doing me a favor~~~~~~~~~~~~~NOT!! I almost cried,i thought it wouldn't come back and i told him that if he cut anything else down without checking with me first,we'd end up in divorce court,because he had also cut down our apricot tree..I was livid!!!
Lucky for him it came back,now every few years he hacks it back.It did get full sun all day,now it gets partial sun as he planted a new apricot tree in front of it.So when the tree is in full bloom and fruiting like now it doesn't get as much sun,but it doesn't look any worse for the lack of sun.Have never had a mildew problem with it either.
Kathi
kittymoonbeam
11 years ago
Mine had that same spot even in full sun. I hit it with a rose remedy when I sprayed the roses and it cured it. I cut the flowers off first in case it was toxic to bees, butterflies.
aquilachrysaetos
11 years ago
Lantana sometimes sulks near the coast. I think it likes drier air.
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
11 years ago
I grew Lantana in Watsonville, known for foggy summers, about 4 miles from the ocean, without ever getting any fungus diseases. It was in full sun with the plants spaced to not overlap. Every spring all plants were cut back to about six inches. Al

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