Lantana: what is it?

With its bright summer bloom, the lantana is a remarkable shrub. Yellow, pink or white, the colors are numerous, depending on the variety. Small in size, the lantana will flourish just as well in the garden, in a small space only on one balconypot.

Appellations

The lantana (lantana) is a shrub of the Verbenaceae family (Verbenaceae).

Botanical description of lantana

The lantana is a medium-sized shrub, which can reach more than 2 m in height, which is covered with small flowers all summer and practically all year round in the regions in the weather soft. Its slightly embossed, semi-evergreen foliage is slightly fragrant, a scent approaching that of grapefruit. It is covered with large umbels made up of tubular flowers from April to November.

here are some species of lantana to grow:

• lantana camara : shrub which does not exceed 1.80 m easy to grow in a pot and perfect for use as an isolated subject or accompanied in beds; repens ‘Jaune Carpet’ with its yellow flower heads and its height of 30 cm; ‘Lucky Sunrise Rose’ with its yellow and fuchsia pink flowers; ‘Lucky White’ with its white flowers with a yellow heart;
• Lantana sellowiana : very floriferous creeping shrub which does not exceed 50 cm in height, therefore perfect for flowering planters, hanging baskets or pots; ‘Blanc’ with its pure white flowers; ‘Lilac’ with its pale pink flower heads.

The different shades evolve according to the lightexposure and progress over time.

Origins of lantana

The lantana is native to South Africa, Central and Central America.

Lantana cultivation requirements

Grow lantana in Sun to densify its flowering which will color your garden space from the end of spring to the first days offall. Once planted on sunny days, in full Earth only in the South and in pots, everywhere in France, the lantana requires little care. Whether you grow it in a container or in the ground, put a bed of gravel or pebbles for it. drainage and for excess water to drain away.

Bring water to the lantana regularly pot grown. Periods of drought don’t scare him. Prefer to grow it in a pot on wheels if you live in a cold region because the lantana does not tolerate temperatures below -5°C. Cold and frost-prone, you can also protect it with a wintering veil. In a pot, put it in a greenhouse or a veranda so that it flourishes all winter, next to the citrus.

Use of lantana

Choose a small lantana camara for a container culture in a corner of Terrace or on a balcony. Shrubby or on stem, its flowering will bring an explosion of flowers all summer long. Plant verbena, diascia or lavender to flower the foot or ivy or even glechoma to provide decorative foliage. Mix white, pink, purple, orange or yellow lantana in a shrub bed. Use crawling species to colonize space in a rock garden or highlight its hanging port in a suspension. Much appreciated by foraging insectslantana is suitable for creating a border in the vegetable garden or along the aisle.