Butterflies Love Lantana - So Let's Grow it in the Garden

Butterflies Love Lantana - So Let's Grow it in the Garden

I so enjoy the many butterflies on the various lantana plants in my garden. The butterflies just love the colorful flowers on these plants. Today I'm writing about planting and growing Lantana in my garden and the things I have learned about this easy to grow plant. I have many colors of lantana in my garden and two different growing types - mounding and spreading. I will share with you below the different lantana plants I have in the garden, but first let's talk about how to introduce this plant to your garden.

In my backyard I have 5 different types of lantana which you will see below. The purple montevedensis lantana was here when I moved in and has not disappointed in its beauty and growth! The others I purchased at a local hardware store in pots and planted.

Pink and purple lantana In garden border surrounded by succulents and geraniums

Lantana in Garden Border - How to Grow Lantana in the Garden

I grow my lantana in my planting borders around my lawn. Here you can see two different types of lantana plants. The pink fantasy lantana is a mounding plant and the purple montevidensis is a trailing or spreading plant.

Soil Requirements - Lantana tolerates a lot of different soils, but of course prefers a well drained soil. I tend to end up with clay like soils. When this is the case I add soil amendment from my local garden store to help my plants thrive. If you have a clay based soil, just working the soil, planting and cultivating your plants will help to condition that soil. I always add a bit of soil amendment to my yard plantings and year by year my soil gets a little less clay like and becomes a place my plants just love and thrive in.

🌞Sun Light Requirements - Lantana loves full sun and it can easily take sun light all day long.

💧Water Requirements - When you first plant lantana in your garden you will need to water it more often, even up to every day depending on temperature when you plant. Once its roots get established it will require a lot less water. Lantana is considered a drought tolerant plant. My plants get regular watering 2 to 3 times a week because they are in borders with other plants. Sometimes I think they may get a bit too much water due to this. Lantana will let you know by its leaves when it is not getting enough water; its leaves will start to wilt. When this happens water immediately and it should perk up just fine.

🌸Blooming Period - Most of my lantana plants bloom nicely from late spring through fall. My purple montevidensis lantana blooms for a longer period throughout the year. This is partly due to the fact that I live in a mild climate area.

Perennial or Annual - Lantana plants can acts as either an annual or perennial plant. This is dependent on what your climate is like. If you have a mild climate your Lantana plants will come back each year. If you live in a cold climate they will act more like annuals and die off each year. Lantanas have always bloomed the first year that I have planted them in my yard which is very rewarding.

Here are some lantana varieties that I have presently in my garden.

Lantana Fantasy bright pink smaller blooms

Lantana Fantasy with mature blooms with a mixture of bright pink and yellow colors.

Lantana Fantasy starts out as a bright pink smaller bloom and then changes in color as it matures. It is a mounding lantana and grows to 2 to 3 feet in my garden.

Purple Lantana Montevidensis

This purple lantana has slightly smaller flowers and leaves than the other varieties in my garden. It has a longer blooming period and produces new blooms through out the year going slightly dormant only through winter. It may reach to almost a foot tall, but is of a trailing or spreading variety.

Spreading Sunset Lantana

Spreading Yellow Lantana

Both of these lantanas are of the spreading variety where they tend to grow more out to the sides and have some height as they mature for the season. They love spreading throughout my plant borders.