What does lantana look like

This plant is better grown outdoors as an annual or perennial, depending on where you live. Lantana plants are sometimes called "verbena bushes" although nurseries selling them in hanging baskets often make a distinction between lantana plants and verbena the latter also being a popular plant for hanging pots. They are both part of the Vebenaceae family, and they both attract butterflies, but lantana's blooms are smaller in tighter clusters, and are more shrubby than verbena.

Lantana and verbena: how to combat insects and mite pests. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.

Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. In This Article Expand. Growing From Seeds.

Common Pests. Warning Lantana plants are considered invasive in many areas without frosts, including in Florida, Arizona, and Hawaii. Is lantana easy to grow? Does lantana grow fast? Can lantana grow indoors? What's the difference between lantana and verbena? Featured Video. Article Sources. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Read More. Your Privacy Rights. Additionally, some species of lantana act as the host plants for certain species of butterfly. The fruits, while poisonous to humans, are beloved by the birds that rely on lantana as an important part of their diets.

Maybe these delightful plants can even inspire you to plant your own pollinator garden! Lantana species are popular garden plants because of their showy blooms and ability to attract native pollinators. In general, all lantana species need hot, humid climates to really thrive. Many of these species can be found in the southern United States. If the climate suits them, lantana species are very low maintenance and make a beautiful addition to your garden. The common lantana also called shrub verbena is one of the most widely cultivated varieties of lantana flowers.

In colder climates, you can grow this species in a container or as an annual. While this is a great plant to spruce up your garden or home, be extra cautious if you live in tropical areas. The common lantana spreads quickly and is considered invasive in Texas, Florida, Hawaii, and parts of Australia. Ideal as a dense ground cover, trailing lantana has a wide sprawl, thick foliage, and beautiful flowers.

Another vigorous grower, it has escaped gardens across the southern U. Be careful around this plant — the tiny hairs on the leaves can be irritating to the skin. A lantana species that is native to the U. When the leaves are crushed, they have a fragrance similar to sage, giving this lantana plant its common name.

Also called lavender popcorn, this lantana plant is as much cultivated for its decorative fruit as for its flowers. Giving the plant its common name, the fruits form in bundles that look like individual pieces of purple popcorn! Sometimes called by the antiquated Latin name Lantana horrida , other common names for Texas lantana include calico bush, wild lantana, and West Indian shrubverbena. This is a favorite of many butterflies and birds, and the Texas lantana makes a great choice for a butterfly garden as its cousins are often invasive.

In fact, the Lantana Scrub Hairstreak butterfly relies on the Texas lantana as its primary food source as a caterpillar. This small aromatic shrub is sometimes called Mexican Majoram because of its fragrance. Occasionally, it can be misidentified as belonging to the mint family!

The leaves and fruit are a favorite snack of browsing animals like white-tailed deer. In addition to the wild species of lantana, these flowers have been intentionally bred for their robust blooms. Now, there are cultivars available in a plethora of colors in both shrubs and trailing varieties. In fact, most cultivars are hybrids and variations of L. In contrast to species of lantanas, cultivars are often sterile. Therefore, they can only be bred by cuttings.

As a bonus, lantana cultivars often require less pruning than their wild counterparts. Rising to fame because of their ability to attract butterflies, the Dallas red cultivars sport beautiful bundles of flowers that fade from dark orange to a brilliant red.

Grows as an upright shrub to about feet tall and feet wide. Dark Orange fading to Solid red. From spring to fall, the silver mound lantana will bud small yellow flowers that mature to a creamy white, giving the impression that each flower bundle has a yellow center.

With these white and yellow flowers, this plant will attract native bees and some butterflies. Grows around 18 inches tall, and up to four feet wide. Flowers begin yellow and mature to a creamy white.

Lantanas are usually deer- and rabbit-resistant, though their berries and flowers are greatly loved by pollinators from honeybees to hummingbirds. Most lantana are drought-resistant, making them an easy care choice wherever you live. Previous Next. GrowJoy - 2. How to Plant Lantana Although lantanas are a great choice for outdoor planting if you live in the warmer South, many of the smaller varieties are excellent choices for containers. How to Grow Lantana When. Plant lantanas in spring, after all the threat of frost is past.

Although most lantanas will tolerate partial shade, they prefer full sun, and are best planted in a spot that gets good light for most of the day, with well-draining soil that is slightly acidic.

Place the lantana in the hole at the same depth as it was in the pot. Fill the hole around the plant with soil that has been enriched with well-rotted manure or compost. Tamp down soil and water thoroughly. How to Care for Lantana Watering and nutrients.