Anna

When we moved to Phoenix, we had it landscaped with plants that would take the heat. They recommended oleander, hibiscus, and others, lantanas were included.

We went with all the lantanas they had, all the colors. While they looked pretty in the beginning and were big pollinator attractors, later on they were growing fast and big.

If you have a lot of space for them to grow, then it is great because they will take the heat and sun and look colorful.

But in my case, I want it to put different plants and they were just growing and getting too big, this is the case with the orange, and pink. The trailing ones the white and purple, have different growth habits.

I also did not like the smell.

However , I respect other people opinions and their experience might be different than mine.

In Australia, they grow wild in the roadsides. There is a movie that I saw long time ago, called Lantana.

Silvia

I know they can be invasive as I see some multi-colored ones growing here and there which must have been volunteers. I know some are natives, but I thought the multi-colored ones were not. Lantana depressa is yellow and native. Not sure of much else.

Gary

I am a lantana lover. I even lived in Lantana FL once upon a time lol.

The yellow is probably my favorite and have a bunch of it growing at the edges of beds, skippers really love it, the aroma is wonderful too.

I added some of the orange/red type this year which is much taller (2') and very popular with butterflies: frits, monarchs, peacocks.

Also have a white which is really low growing. One plant spread about 3 feet in diameter. Not sure about popularity but it is pretty as a groundcover.

The wild kind has berries which birds eat and then drop the seeds. That is the invasive part IMO. I've seen it in state parks, very pretty multi colored blossoms.

Never had the purple, my least favorite color.

None of the store bought lantanas are invasive at all. They do not grow invasively and are seedless.

Well, every time I see them in the nursery and in people's yards, I really think they are pretty and so colorful. My butterfly garden is looking pretty sorry right now and could use a lift. Denise, that is a good point you made. I really cannot remember seeing the berries on any of the nursery plants and they always tell me they are not invasive. I have noticed berries on the ones in the wild. Gary, like you, I was specifically worried about the multicolored ones. Silvia, I don't remember the smell (?fragrance). I will have to pay more attention next time and sniff around. I would be willing to give up some of my limited full sun area to something that will be colorful nonstop and will attract bees and butterflies.

The second question I have is whether this is a good time to plant or should I wait till next spring? Do they look bad in cold weather? Do they die over winter? As you can see, I know little about lantanas.

As far as I know, all the multicolored ones are invasive. I don't think any of the others are. I grew yellow ones for 13 years in Atlanta and had to replace them only once. The ones I have here froze back last winter and came back in the spring. If we don't have a "hard" freeze, they stay green. The upside is they grow in full sun and I don't water them.

Many years ago I had some white lantana that smelled like jasmine. I've been looking for more of them ever since.

>Many years ago I had some white lantana that smelled like jasmine.

Ooh, I'd love some of those!

I have had the trailing white and a trailing purple for years, but I usually don't get a frost. Neither have ever had any berries, so they haven't spread. If they get bigger then I want I prune them back, like any other plant. The newer hybreds that come in colors, like solid red, don't produce berries either and are not invasive. Those are upright and not trailing. Again they can be pruned for size. The butterflies and bees love them. The only ones I've seen with the berries is the multicolored wild one.

I'll have to go smell my white trailing one. The smell of them is different to me, but not offensive,but each person has to decide that for themselves. ;o)

Anna: Take a look at the link below. One of each please! The problem is finding these and other named varieties. - June

Here is a link that might be useful: Lantana...PLEASE!

I love-love lantanas. I even do not mind the native invasive ones - I let some of them grow, the rest get mowed over by my hubby (he does not like the huge native ones)

I grow a lot of trailing ones, mainly purple and white - they are so pretty. Easy to take care of, and add so much color to sunny spots. They do need room to spread, but make an awesome ground cover. The foliage has a peculiar scent, not horrible though - I personally do not mind it objective, and I can only smell it when pruning the plant or rubbing on the foliage accidentally

I think lantana is a must in a Florida butterfly garden.

Anna - thanks for the post, I've had a lot of the same questions and more.

While we're on the subject - what about soil and moisture? Fertilizer? Nematodes? Every lantana I've planted had withered and died within a couple of months. Some had lots of water, some had little water, some had knotty roots when I pulled their dead carcasses out. The folks here laugh at me because they've never seen anyone kill lantana.

Terri

Cjc45, I had also thought that about the multicolored ones, that the birds carry the seeds and plant them in the wild, but this nursery says these new brightly colored ones are not invasive, and it sounds like others here agree?

June, those are almost too perfect! They sure are pretty, and so bright. Those are the color combos this nursery has, but the plants don't look as full or perfect.

Olya, I think I may need to try some. My problem is not too much full sun.

Ladywingr, I'm also interested in how others are growing them, and is this a bad time to plant them? Will they wither in winter in 9b/10a? Should I just wait till spring?

Anna

Also love Lantana. Have a white, a yellow and a purple. Have to move the yellow as it is in a very shady spot and doesn't bloon much. However the purple is next to it and does well.

However I killed the multicolor wild one not intentionally.

Anna
I also live in zone 10 and have Lantana planted in my garden. I dug up the small plant up in North Florida over the Mothers Day weekend and replanted it here. The plant I have is wild and grows in the full sun. It is covered in purple outter and white inner blooms with a yellow center. It has butterflys on it most all day long. The birds like to eat the berrys from it and I have had no new plants sprout up from it. Mine likes the heat we have here. I put a picture of the lantana bloom on my gardening blog if you are interested.

Here is a link that might be useful: South Florida Challenges

the wild ones are definitely invasive and a pain in the hand if you mistakenly grab one. Tiny little needles that are difficult to see and remove.

One plant I could do without!

bernie

Juneroses, I love the color of the lantanas on that site. I would diffinately buy a few of those. I would love to find them here somewhere. Is that a mail order site?

Friends, remember if they produce berries they are the invasive ones. Maybe you don't see them in your garden but the birds eat the seeds and deposit them when they fly over wild areas.

Anna, I would think you could plant them now, if you are like me and don't get a frost, they bloom all winter.

It's very important to buy the native lantana. This story explains about banana lantana with photos:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/3016530/florida_butterfly_gardening_banana.html?cat=32

I've seen confetti and fiesta at Lowes several times.

I bought an orange there last spring to help resurrect the butterfly area. This lantana produces many seeds so I think it may be some what invasive.

My favorite, hands down, is tangerine. This is an old name so it may not be findable under that name. It also produces seeds, though very few. The hummers LOVE it. The color begins as a deep mandarin orange and it darkens to a red that cannot be believed.

They have some now called bush lantana. They really are little bushes, they do not invade. I like them a lot. They frost back here and return every year. I also grow the yellow and the purple.

The only thing I have ever heard about lantana to watch out for is that they are toxic to livestock if they eat them, especially cattle.