Lantana are a genus of the verbena family and there consists about 150 species. They are evergreen shrubs and stemmed perennials.

All are native to the warmer parts of the Americas, and a few popular in southern Africa.

They are sometimes a notorious weed of many tropical and subtropical regions. One very notable lantana would be the lantana camara.

There are several species that have been cultivated for southern landscapes, sometimes being grown as a standard or hanging basket.

Lantanas prefer fertile, well-drained soil and, of course, full sun. If grown in a container, the plant can be top-dressed in the spring.

To promote a bushier habitat, tip pruning should be encouraged.

Cuttings are popular in the summertime.

Lantanas are generally not bothered by most insects or diseases, but be on the lookout for whitefly and spider mite.

Zones 9 - 11 or 12.

Some questions from Emily's mailbox:

Q: I planted lantana (new gold) back in June (Florida Zone 10). They grew nicely until recently. I am new to the gardening scene and am not sure what is going on with the plant. The plant seems to be thinning out and looks like it is dying. I do not see any bugs, but there are some yellow spots on the leaves. The leaves also appear to be burnt and I have noticed a caterpillar like bug inside some of the curled leaves. Should I cut the stems down and will that help the plant to come back. The plant has also stopped blooming. Is this "thinning out" part of the plant's life cycle? I have tried propagating with cuttings, but it doesn't seem to take root. How can I get this plant to come back?

A: In your zone, lantana is going a little dormant for the winter season. It will not grow as flush as it did in the spring and summer. Yes, mother nature is telling you it is time to take a bit of a rest. Propagation is not good this time of the year for the lantana. Lantana is more on the tropical side of things and the spring and the summer is a good time to do the propagation. New growth should root easily.

You may get some tiny blooms thru the winter ...... and some new growth on the balmy days or weeks... but even in Zone 10 this shows its best in the spring and summer .

Also depending what variety the lantana is.. each has its own particular way of growing, but for the most part just mulch and little keep moderately watered and do not fertilize 'til mid-late February.

Q: I bought a small purple and "Irene" potted Lantana from the nursery and let them sit on the patio awhile, where they appeared to be doing fine. Yesterday I put them into the ground, and prepared the soil as I'm used to for all my plants, but half of the "Irene" leaves seemed to have wilted the following day. I am reluctant to over water for obvious reasons, but with new ones, how does one decide when there isn't enough water? Should shade be provided just after planting? (Central California -- mid 90s during day, 60-70s during evening)

A: All plants when transplanted need a period of adjustment. This may be days or weeks.

I understand your concern for over watering and you should be because lantana do not need a lot of water .

The thinner the leaf sometimes the more adjustment the plant needs.

Keep an eye on it.

Q: Would you please tell me if you can plant a lantana from a cutting?

A: Yes, you can take cuttings from lantana.

This may be a tad late in the season to be doing so, but I still would try.

Take a cutting form the end growth. Make sure there is at least two nodes and snip off any blooms. Keep the soil moist but not wet to create rotting.

Do not fertilize until there is a pretty good root system growing.

Acclimate back into the full sun....

Some varieties will root better than others.

Q: We have several lantana on our deck and if our dogs accidentally eat one of the flowers that blow off it seems to make them sick, are they toxic or is it just a coincidence.

A: According to Cornell University and their list of poisonous plants, Lantana is listed in their database as being toxic. So perhaps your dog did have a reaction.

Hope your dog is better.

Q: I purchased two lantana plants that are a mix of yellow and purple in June 2003. I keep them in pots on my front porch, which has no sun in the morning and a lot of sun in the afternoon. They are looking like they need to be trimmed. When do I trim them back and what should I fertilize them with? Will they come back every so often?

A: You can trim lantana back anytime through the growing season. And, you can fertilize once a month with a good 20-20-20. I would not fertilize after September because you do not want new growth going into the fall season and cooler days and nights. New growth will always take a hit with the first frost, depending where you live. (If you live in the southeast, you might be able to go one more month into October for this instruction.)

Q: I live in Midwestern Nebraska and our winters can be long and cold. Should I try to transplant my lantana and bring them inside? I have planted lantana in the past and although I mulched them in the winter they always died and did not come back.

A: Yes, if possible you can bring in the lantana plant for the winter months. Sometimes this will work. Storing in the cellar should work. Giving it a tad of water so it does not completely dry up. It may get thin and spindly but if there is a good root system it should make it through the winter months.

It is an annual for you in your zone and location.

Lantana is tropical and needs hot and dry conditions.

Q: I live in Acworth, GA. and have several lantana in my backyard. I have been told and have read many different ways to care for them during the winter. I am now TOTALLY CONFUSED on which is the best way to care for them this coming winter so they will bloom again next year. I lost all the lantana I had planted last year thinking they would just come back again during the warmer months.

Can you please advise the proper way to care for these so I don't lose this new batch I have planted.

A: lantana are perennials that grow well in zones 7 and higher.

Not all lantana respond well through the winter, some do winter over better than others. There are many varieties. Naturally the native ones to particular areas (especially in the very southeast) do well and live a life of their own no matter.

I usually trim about half way through the season to make the plant bushier an more manageable. If you trim to late in the season, new growth will not respond well to the first signs of colder weather and certainly not the winter. Let it die back naturally and normally. When the days become shorter it will start to lessen in its blooms, and will sometimes dies back a bit after the first frosts. I bank mine with pine straw sometimes .....

Remember this is a semi-tropical and tropical plant. Unless it is very very happy in a micro climate in cooler zones it may only be an annual those lower zones.

In the spring do not encourage growth till after it is safely over the last frost date. Getting plants to respond too early and only getting hit by the unexpected cold will only stunt the plant, even maybe for the entire season.

Lantana needs plenty of long hot sunny days to shine in its glory of blooms.

Q: I live in Las Vegas and my lantana do outstanding here. I have about 15 of them (red, yellow, orange, white and purple). All of them are doing great, but I have two purple ones where the leaves are no longer a deep green like all the others, but a bright light green. The branches are still alive, yet they don't seem to be growing as fast as the others, nor are their blossoms. Is there something wrong with them?

A: There are several varieties of lantana, as you know. I suspect the purple ones are just slower at exploding on the scene. However, you mentioned a light green color for their leaves and if they are suppose to be a darker green then you need some fertilizer. Easy does it I would give half strength on a weekly basis... then go to monthly fertilizing through the summer growing season.

All lantana need full sun to perform.

Q: I planted lantana two years ago and the plant came up late last year and bloomed but has failed to come up this year. I live in north central Alabama and I would like to know how to protect the plant during the winter months. I pruned the plant year before last but last year just let the plant die from frost thinking it would come back and bloom earlier. Can you tell me how to care for the plant over the winter months.

A: I have had a lot of questions this season about the slow appearance of lantana. Lantana is a tropical plant that needs lots of hot and sunny days. By now, some has emerged for you. I generally do not cut my lantana down 'til the spring after I have seen some green growth. I generally also mulch with pine straw. I do expect it to die back with the cold and rare frosts of zone 8b. I also do not water it other than what mother nature provides Once some growth has started I trim down to about one inch of the new season's life. I also mulch for the summer. This is an excellent plant for drought areas and full sun.

Q: Can I plant Lantana in a container? If so, how large and any special care?

A: Yes, you can plant lantana in a container. It is very good plant material for such an arrangement because it is drought resistant and will do ok on the days that watering is missed.....

It does trail nicely over the edges and may have to be trimmed throughout the season.

Do not forget to fertilize thru the season and have good drainage on the bottom.

Q: I had two lantana last year that were beautiful, right now they look like they are dead, and I don't see any new growth on them. Is it to early yet, or do I need to pull them up and go purchase new ones? I live in Georgia, but I have not had luck in the past three years getting my Lantana to come back. (Or I've just been pulling them up to early). I really love this plant, and I do want it to come back each year.

A: I feel it is a tad too early for the lantana to be giving us a big display yet. I live in zone 8b -9 and I am just getting a tad of a showing , as are my neighbors'.

Remember it is a tropical plant and it needs those hot and blistery temperature days. Our southeast spring is slow in coming and there are still many cool days.

I would wait a while longer. Then,...... on the other hand.. it may have taken a hit with the very cold
and long winter. This generally is a perennial in the southeast and should return but every so often the freezing ground may have taken a toll on the plant material.

Maybe you can push some of the soil away and scratch the stem to see if it is green and alive.

Q: Your information on care of the Lantana is most helpful, thanks. One question - what should we fertilize our Lantana plants with? We live in Southwest Florida, so full son is not a problem. Any help is appreciated.

A: I would use a regular Miracle Grow, something water-soluble. A light offering of 10-10-10 will do if you have it, or anything organic. (Manure tea?? Do not hit the foliage and be sure to mulch.) Often lantanas do fine without lot of fertilizing.

I also find some lantanas do better than other color-wise.

They'll love full sun.

Q: I have always liked lantana. I purchased two nice purple one-gallon plants. However, there is a variety that I would like to have at a friends' house and neither one of us know how to take a piece and make a new plant. Can you just snip a piece off and root it? Or do you have to wait for it to seed at the end of the blooming cycle?

A: Taking a 'cutting' of lantana can be done a little later is in the season when there is new strong growth. Just snip about 4- 6 inches of stem and strip the lower leaves off. Using a root tone hormone powder dip the stem and then place in a sterile 3 inch pot of new potting soil. In about 2 weeks with misting and keeping it humid the roots should start to take hold. I would take about three cuttings per pot.

It is the new growth that will do the trick in this propagation method.

Q: We live in Birmingham AL and have two lantana that we just bought and planted last year. We had no idea that they would get as big as they did, but they are enormous. We planted them in our front flowerbed and want to move them for this year so that they can get as big as they'd like to. We need to know when is the best time to move them. They are supposed to be perennial and right now, they are just real "barky", so I'm going to scratch the bark when I get home to see if there is any green underneath. We haven't had much winter, but it seems we always have an Easter snap every year, and Easter is not until the middle of next month.

A: You can transplant the lantana now and there should be no adverse effects. Yes, Lantana grows a lot in the season. I would trim it back first; you probably can get away with taking it down to 2/3rds of the original plant. Then finding its new home.

Lantana is a very hardy plant. Be sure to water it well, although you probably know it is a very drought tolerant plant material. Mulch in the summer and fertilize at least once a month.

The Easter weather snap you refer to only will hurt the plant if there is some new growth on the plant, in any case it still will over come that too.

Q: I am a beginning gardener and I wish to plant lantanas along a fence line. What is the proper way to plant lantanas? How far do they need to be apart? I live in Louisiana.

A: Lantana will grow into a small shrub so I would allow about 3 feet per plant. They require full sun, mulch a little and you can fertilize at least once a month. They are water tolerant so watering only in very drought conditions is needed.

Q: This is my first year growing lantana. I live outside of Atlanta and need to know when to prune it and how far back should you cut them.

A: Lantana may be pruned back anytime after the last frost date. If you think the season is running early you may squeeze in a couple of weeks early.

I suspect March something is your last frost date ?? I would prune back about 2/3rds, and that would be safe enough. That way you would have a nice strong bushy bush. I know the recommended 1/3 rule for trees and shrubs, but you are dealing with a perennial that grows very well.........

Q: I purchased three Lantana plants from West Virginia in August. They have orange and yellow blossoms and a citrus scent. I planted them at home in my yard and enjoyed their beautiful flowers for a few months until frost hit my state of Maryland. I thought I remembered the seller telling me that it was an annual and that it should be brought inside for the winter which is what I did. I planted them in terra cotta pots which stand in my living room and purchased a plant light that I leave on for anywhere from 8-24 hours per day depending on my schedule. I water them once a day directly into the soil (potting soil) and use Miracle Gro plant food sticks for nourishment. These plants have done very poorly indoors and I am not sure why? The leaves continue to dry up and fall off, they are not blooming, and one plant is now completely bare except woody branches. These flowers are of sentimental value because my husband and I purchased them on our first anniversary and would like to see them in our garden each summer. Please give me some advice of how to save these beautiful flowers. Thanks!

A: Lantanas are tropical plants and native to the very southern USA. You must provide intense heat and lots of full sun for this plant to grow indoors. It is sometimes treated as an annual in lower growing zones because it will not withstand the frost/freezing and cold hard winters. In the south, one can cut them down to about 6 inches in height and they will come back to a great and glorious perennial in the spring.

They also are a very drought resistant plant, meaning they will go for days and weeks without water.

They should be fertilized in their growing season, and often times do not need that at all. Fertilizing in the winter is just out of sync.

I understand how you want to save your plant.

Planting it in a clay pot was a good step. Adding all the extra grow light is also a good step. Do not water as much, and it may just be going into its dormant stage. Mine is outside and is barely blooming, sort of ratty, dark blue berries and I will trim back come the end of February, but I am in a very warm zone. However we do get threats of freezing nights and I will just let be. It is woody from the year's growth, as I am sure yours is a bit.

Just do not over water because it is easier to bring back a plant from underwatering than overwatering.

As spring approaches you may start to take it outside. Use rainwater if you can. Cover if there is a late frost.

Scratch the bark to see if there is green underneath, That is the important part that means life.

Q: This is the first year that I have had any Lantana. It is almost winter and I was wondering if I should cut my Lantana back or not? I am not familiar with this type of plant.

A: Yes, after some very cool and cold days, the blooms will stop blooming and there will be some die back. When you can be sure that there are not going to be any balmy days and future growth you can trim back. I rather wait til January or so when things are brittle and ready to be cleaned up, but now is ok.

Fertilize in the early spring (after last frost date ) and you will be all set for another season.

You might want to mulch a little around the base of the plant.

Q: We live in central Texas, near Kerrville. Our first freeze should be coming along anytime now. I have lantanas along my house on the north side. I planted them this summer and they are about 6 inches tall or so and still blooming. Should I trim them back for the winter and how much?

A: I would wait 'til the frost naturally trims the lantana, then mulch for the rest of the winter. If you trim and the frost takes its time, you are enhancing new growth and not protecting what you have.

Q: Help - my gold lantana appears to be sick. The leaves have a gray tint and seem to be drying up on the ends. The bushes are not blooming. They get plenty of water. I think maybe we have a problem with spider mites and/or white flies - although I cannot see them. Do you agree? If not, what do you think and how can I treat my lantana so they will bloom again. We live in southeast Alabama and have had a good bit of rain lately.

A: If you think you have mites and other insects rinse off with a solution of soap water. Something like Dawn or Ivory from the kitchen sink. 2 tbs in a gallon of water. In the early morning rinse and then rinse with regular water form the hose. Do not do in the middle of the day. Water droplets will magnify and burn the leaves.

You might also want to pinch back any dead or dying branches.

This is a very strong plant and will grow more leaves easily.

Q: My Lantana plants are now full of berry type ends. Should I pinch these off to encourage blossoms? I am not familiar with these plants.

A: When plants get to the stage of producing berries (seeds), they are finishing their cycle of growth. Depending on what part of the county you live in you can get a second bloom and maybe several more by pruning back. This will rejuvenate the plant into more growth and perhaps more bloom.

My lantana is doing the same. I plan to pinch back. I have tried a new lantana this season and I do not want to force the plant too much its first year.

When a plant gets some maturity, it will withstand the stress and strains of pruning/drought and trauma if any occurs.

You could also still fertilize the plant a bit since we are pretty much in the middle of summer.

Q: I have a beautiful lantana plant. It is a perennial, but should I bring it for the winter since I live in Ohio?

A: Lantana generally is a perennial in the southeast or at least warmer zones than Ohio. If it is in a pot, yes bring it in.... It may die back but will return in the new growing season. Do not let dry out completely.... It may stay green all winter.

If it is in the ground digging it up at this point may be difficult. I would mulch heavily and hope the cover of the snow will insulate it and protect it from any severe ice and freezing. Burrrrrrr.. I hate to think of that.