If you are looking for a plant for a sunny area, that can withstand the heat, lantana plants are a great choice. It adds a lot of color to your garden, and the butterflies and hummingbirds love it! Lantana comes in a variety of colors, and this scarlet red is beautiful.
Lantana makes a great container plant, but you better have a big enough container for it.
This old log is overflowing with yellow lantana.
This is an old Chore Time Feeder I bought from a chicken farmer who was going to sell it for scrap. It now sits at the corner of my split rail fence and holds a variegated lantana. This lantana is supposed to be a perennial lantana. I live in zone 7 and most lantanas are annuals to zone 9 where they are considered perennials.
You can also plant lantana in the ground, and it can withstand partial shade. This lantana hides my little concrete garden gnome underneath a tree.
Care of lantana plants:
- Choose a sunny location with well drained soil
- Mulch with pine needles to raise the pH levels of the soil
- Water frequently when first planted, but after that they are tolerant of dry conditions and require little maintence.
- Water weekly once established.
- Fertilize in the spring.
- Deadhead as needed, and cut back overgrown plants about 1/3 to encourage re blooming.
Lantana Growing Problems:
- Provide enough light to prevent powdery mildew
- Pests include lace bugs and whiteflies which may cause sooty mold, or cause the leaves to turn gray or brown, then fall off.
I love lantana. I does exactly as you say. Stands up to the heat and blooms its head off. Unfortunately for me in zone 6 it does not winter over but I often buy it for pots.