Lantana is a vibrant, heat-loving plant known for its continuous flowering and toughness in hot conditions. It can grow as a shrub or a groundcover, providing color throughout the summer and fall. The ultimate height of lantana depends heavily on the specific variety planted and the environment it is grown in. Understanding these natural tendencies is key to managing its size in the landscape.
Understanding Growth Habits
The ultimate height of a lantana plant is primarily determined by its genetic growth habit, which falls into two main categories. Mounding and upright varieties, often derived from Lantana camara, achieve significant vertical growth. These shrub-like plants can reach heights between three and six feet in a single season when grown in ideal conditions.
Trailing and spreading varieties, typically Lantana montevidensis or hybrids, are bred to remain low to the ground. These types generally reach only six to eighteen inches in height. While their vertical growth is minimal, they can spread widely, sometimes covering an area up to six feet across. Checking the plant tag for the specific cultivar name is the most reliable way to predict the plant’s mature height and spread.
Environmental Factors that Affect Height
The environment a lantana is planted in significantly modifies its genetic height potential. In cooler climates, where it is treated as an annual, the plant will be significantly smaller than perennial counterparts. A vigorous variety may only reach two to three feet before the season-ending frost. In tropical and subtropical zones, where it grows year-round, the same variety can establish woody stems and become a substantial shrub up to six feet tall.
Sun exposure is another major influence, as lantana requires at least six hours of direct sunlight to thrive. Plants grown in full sun develop a robust, compact structure that maximizes their height potential efficiently.
If lantana is grown in lower light conditions, it often exhibits “legginess,” stretching its stems to reach for the sun. This results in a weaker and sparser structure that may be taller but less dense. Adequate water and well-draining soil are also necessary for the plant to reach its maximum size. Over-fertilization, particularly with high-nitrogen formulas, can divert energy into excessive foliage growth rather than flower production, impacting the ultimate form and height.
Techniques for Controlling Size
Gardeners can actively manage a lantana’s size using simple pruning techniques throughout the growing season. The most aggressive size control should be done in late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins, particularly for perennial plants. The plant can be hard pruned, cutting back woody stems to about six to twelve inches from the ground to stimulate fresh, controlled growth. This seasonal cutback prevents the plant from becoming excessively large or developing an overly woody appearance.
During the summer, “pinching” encourages a bushier, more compact shape rather than vertical height. Pinching involves removing the growing tip of the stem with your fingers. This action forces the plant to branch out laterally, resulting in a denser plant with more flower clusters. Confining a lantana to a container naturally restricts its root growth, limiting its overall size and making container planting a reliable method for managing vigorous varieties.