Spring season in North Texas means time to plant beautiful lantanas in the garden

Texas gardeners have always counted on lantanas to tolerate the heat. Few plants hold up to the scorching rays as well — none any better. And now that our soils are finally warming, it’s time to get lantanas growing in your gardens.

Before I get into their planting and care specifics, though, I want to go back to my days as a teenager climbing the hills of the Edwards Plateau with my dad. He was doing research on plants that were toxic to sheep and goats for Texas A&M, and the rocky slopes of Southwest Texas were where we spent many weeks every summer. There are draws in those hills where infrequent heavy rains have eroded deep gullies, and that’s where moisture comes first and stays longest.

That’s where I met my first lantanas, Uvalde County, Texas. It was Lantana urticoides — Texas lantana — and it grows 5 or 6 feet tall in those settings. If you hit it at the right time in the summer (a week or two after a rainstorm), you’ll find it smothered in orange and gold blooms, immersed in bees and butterflies. It’s native through the Chihuahuan Desert, Southwest Texas, across the Edwards Plateau, the Blackland Prairie, and even beyond Texas.

Sometimes you’ll find Texas lantana labeled by an alternative, out-of-date species name of L. horrida. I tell you that in case you want to include it in your own Texas native garden and find it labeled that way. It does well here in North Central Texas, although the top growth will freeze to the ground every winter.

Not to worry – it comes rebounding back the following spring from its roots, especially if you cover the clumps with mulch for protection. In fact, you can even dig and divide the clumps into a small number of new plants before new growth begins in the spring.

So that’s the native lantana. It’s a really nice one if you want something several feet tall and showcasing brightly-hued, two-toned flowers.

Trailing lavender lantana

The other straight species is Lantana montevidensis (formerly known as L. sellowiana), or trailing lavender lantana. It’s native to tropical South America, but according to the Missouri Botanical Garden and N.C. State University, it has escaped cultivation to naturalize in warm parts of the Southeastern U.S.

As its name implies, trailing lavender lantana is not shrub-like like the others. It’s more of a sprawling ground cover. Its leaves and stems are much smaller. The plants cover themselves with medium-purple flower heads that are somewhat smaller than those of the shrubby big sisters. This one is outstanding as the “spiller” plant in large patio pots, in hanging baskets, and in large color beds, especially on dry slopes. A white-flowering form is also available.

Beyond those two species, there are selections and hybrids, mostly of L. urticoides. Flower colors include mixtures of orange, rust-red, gold, yellow, pink, and lavender. Compact varieties with mature heights that peak out at 15 to 18 inches have been brought into the market. Taller standard types may grow as tall as 3 to 4 feet.

Like the Texas lantana, all die to the ground with the first killing freeze. Some will survive and return the following spring. As a precautionary note, lantanas are among the last perennials to sprout out in the spring. They seem to want to be sure that warm weather has really arrived. I have never had trailing lavender lantanas come back after a North Texas winter in my gardens.

How much Texas sun for lantanas?

Lantanas must be grown in full or almost full sun if you expect the best bloom. They also require good drainage. They produce flower buds on new growth, so water and feed them regularly, but don’t plant them in a location where the soil will stay soggy after rains. That’s why they’re so good in large patio pots or on berms or hillsides.

Most soil tests show that North Texas soils need only nitrogen. The Texas A&M Soil Testing Laboratory suggests using a high-quality all-N fertilizer for most of your lawn and garden feedings – one where 30 percent to 40 percent of the nitrogen is coated or encapsulated to ensure slow release. That will work on almost all your plants, and it will certainly keep your lantanas growing and blooming. Feed them monthly. Water deeply right after you feed and as the soil dries out in between.

Insect or disease problems with lantanas?

There are very few insect and disease problems that will show up in a lantana garden. You may see mottling of the leaves by mid-summer. Turn the leaves over and if you see waxy black specks, those are lace bug droppings. Most general-purpose insecticides will control them. Spray in the evening when the pollinators are done for the day.

Sometimes lantanas will quit blooming by mid-summer. I’ve had that experience and soon found that my plants had just run out of nitrogen. I generally trim them by 10 percent or 20 percent just to even them up, and I apply a water-soluble, high-nitrogen plant food for a quick burst of new growth. Within a couple of weeks, they’re back in the game.

Lantanas are propagated by cuttings. Granted, they do produce seeds, but if you want the very same variety you currently have, cuttings are the only way to get it. And yes, you can over-winter them indoors. But, unless you have a greenhouse, it’s going to be a beast of a job. They love the sunlight and really warm conditions. If you can’t provide those, you’re better off starting with new plants each May — like right now!

Happy planting.

This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 5:50 AM.