The genus Lantana is a popular choice for gardeners seeking a flowering plant that tolerates heat, full sun, and dry conditions. This vibrant group, part of the Verbenaceae family, originates in the tropical regions of the Americas and Africa and includes over 150 species. Due to extensive horticultural development, a vast range of options are available that vary in physical structure, flower color, and garden performance.
Distinctions in Growth Habit
The most practical way to categorize Lantana varieties is by their overall growth habit, which dictates their best use in a landscape. These plants generally fall into two structural forms: the upright (shrubby) type and the trailing (weeping) type. Upright forms, often derived from Lantana camara, develop into mounding shrubs that can reach heights between two and six feet, functioning well as hedges, mixed border elements, or stand-alone specimens.
Trailing varieties, frequently associated with Lantana montevidensis, exhibit a low-growing, spreading tendency. These types rarely exceed one foot in height but can spread several feet wide, making them excellent choices for groundcovers, especially on slopes for erosion control. Their weeping stems also make them ideal “spillers” for container gardening, window boxes, and hanging baskets.
Defining Species and Hybrids
The existence of numerous Lantana types stems from the distinction between true species and horticultural hybrids developed by breeders. Modern cultivated Lantana rests mainly on two species: the shrubby Lantana camara and the spreading Lantana montevidensis. Most commercially available plants are complex hybrids created by crossing these and other species to achieve specific garden traits.
Hybridization is often used to manipulate reproductive characteristics, such as creating seed-sterile varieties that do not produce viable fruit. Seed sterility is a desirable trait because it prevents the plants from becoming invasive in tropical regions where the species can naturalize aggressively. Hybridization can also introduce enhanced cold tolerance, resulting in varieties that survive and return as perennials in marginal zones, such as USDA Zone 7b.
Common Cultivars and Their Traits
The commercial market features a wide spectrum of named cultivars, each selected for specific aesthetic and performance qualities. Many cultivars are grouped into series, such as the ‘Bandana’ or ‘Luscious’ lines, which offer a range of colors on plants with a consistent size and growth habit. Flower colors are highly variable, ranging from solid colors like yellow or white to multi-colored clusters that change hue as the florets mature, often starting yellow and fading to orange, pink, or red.
Breeders have also focused on size, offering both vigorous, tall forms like ‘Miss Huff,’ known for its frost tolerance, and dwarf, compact types that remain under two feet tall and wide. The ‘New Gold’ cultivar is a popular example of a sterile, low-spreading type that produces golden-yellow flowers without seed production, leading to heavier and more continuous blooming. These targeted selections provide consumers with choices tailored to specific landscape needs, from large shrub borders to small container accents.