Lantana is a vibrant and resilient plant, popular for its continuous, colorful blooms. It serves as a significant resource for various beneficial insects and birds, drawing in a diverse array of pollinators. Its hardiness and long blooming season make it a favored choice for gardeners creating lively, biodiverse spaces.
Why Lantana Attracts Pollinators
Lantana’s allure to pollinators stems from several botanical characteristics. Its flowers are arranged in dense, flat-topped clusters, known as umbels, which act as convenient landing pads for various insects. Each cluster comprises numerous small, tubular blooms, making nectar readily accessible.
The plant’s vibrant color palette, including shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, and white, serves as a strong visual cue for pollinators. Many lantana varieties exhibit a unique color-changing phenomenon, where the newest flowers display one color, then transition as they mature. These multiple hues within a single cluster, along with a subtle, spicy fragrance, contribute to its strong appeal.
Key Pollinators of Lantana
Lantana is effective at attracting a range of pollinators due to its rich nectar content and inviting flower structure. It is a popular addition to pollinator-friendly gardens.
Butterflies
Butterflies are drawn to lantana’s sweet nectar and vibrant blooms. Common species observed include Monarchs, Swallowtails, Painted Ladies, Hairstreaks, and Gulf Fritillaries. Lantana also serves as a host plant for the caterpillars of certain butterflies, such as the Painted Lady and Hairstreak. Its long blooming season provides a consistent nectar supply throughout the growing season.
Bees
Both honeybees and various native bee species visit lantana for its nectar and pollen. The plant’s small, tubular flowers allow bees to access floral resources effectively. Yellow and lavender lantana varieties may be particularly appealing.
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are highly attracted to lantana’s tubular flowers and bright colors, especially red, orange, and yellow. The shape of the blooms is perfectly suited for a hummingbird’s long beak and tongue, allowing easy access to abundant nectar. Its extended blooming season provides a consistent food source for these energetic birds.
Other Insects
Beyond butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, other beneficial insects also visit lantana. Moths, including Sphinx moths, feed on lantana nectar, particularly in the evening when some varieties’ fragrance becomes more pronounced. Certain moths, like the lantana plume moth, even use the plant as a host for their larvae. The plant’s overall appeal supports a broader range of garden beneficials.
Maximizing Pollinator Visits with Lantana
To encourage more pollinator visits, strategic planting and care practices for lantana are beneficial. Lantana thrives in full sun, requiring at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily for abundant blooms. A sunny location ensures vigorous growth and continuous flowering, attracting more pollinators.
Proper care involves consistent watering until the plant is established. Once established, lantana is remarkably drought-tolerant, though regular watering during dry periods promotes better flowering. Minimal pesticide use is important to protect pollinators, as these chemicals can harm the insects you aim to attract. Deadheading spent blooms also encourages more flowers by redirecting the plant’s energy from seed production to new floral growth, extending the blooming period.
Companion planting with other pollinator-friendly species creates a diverse habitat. Plants like butterfly bush, coneflowers, milkweed, zinnias, salvia, and petunias can be grown alongside lantana to enhance the garden’s appeal. When choosing lantana varieties, consider traditional types that produce seeds, as some sterile or near-sterile cultivars may offer less nectar or pollen, potentially attracting fewer pollinators.