Lantanas are a group of over 150 flowering plants that are native to parts of tropical America and Africa. They belong to the genus Lantana and the verbena family, Verbenaceae. In their preferred climate they grow as evergreen perennials, however, in colder climates, they are often grown as bedding annuals or as container plants that are overwintered indoors.
Lantana plants have been extensively cultivated for over 300 years, leading to the great number of attractive varieties and cultivars we have today! Their bright and colorful flowers are long-lasting and will attract pollinators into the area. Lantana blooms may open as one color and can change colors up to two more times with maturity. This often leads to two or three-toned clusters of densely packed flowers!
They can be classified as either trailing or compact varieties, with trailing varieties making attractive container plants and compact varieties perfect for bed and borders! However, there is no one size fits all approach and these plants look sensational wherever they are planted! Plant brighter colored lantanas in tropical garden schemes and softer blooms in cottage-style gardens!
Beautiful Lantana Varieties You Should Grow
#1 Common Lantana (L. camara)
This wonderful lantana flower, also known as Yellow Sage, is one of the most well-known lantanas! It is suited to USDA zones 10-11, with roots hardy down to zone 9 if they receive a good winter mulch. It grows 3 to 4 feet high and produces umbels of tubular flowers that begin yellow and mature to red creating a yellow center and red-edged dome!
#2 American Red (L. camara)
American Red is a vivid and bold lantana variety that grows as tall and wide as 6 feet! Grow this as an evergreen in frost-free areas between zones 9 and 11, otherwise, it makes a lovely annual. This plant produces clusters of golden yellow flowers that mature to rich red. Plant this lantana bush in tropical gardens alongside brightly colored hibiscus and salvias.
#3 Bandana White (L. camara)
This lovely lantana flower is a member of the Banana series and produces umbels of pure white flowers that are wonderful for attracting pollinators to the garden! It is a relatively small variety with a height and spread of 2 feet. Flowers are white with yellow throats and mature to pure white, contrasting nicely with its dark green foliage! Grow this lantana type in containers in cottage-style gardens.
#4 Bandito Rose (L. camara)
Part of the Bandito series, Bandito Rose is a compact lantana variety that will have a big impact in the garden! It reaches between 12 and 14 inches tall, making it ideal for container planting or the front of garden borders! Grow it as an evergreen bush in zones 9-11 or as overwinter it indoors in colder climates. Blooms are pale yellow in the center of the dome and mature to rose-pink towards the edge. This variety is perfect for cottage-style gardens!
#5 Feston Rose (L. camara)
Feston rose is a delightful lantana bush that would look fantastic in either a cottage-style or patio garden! It has two-toned flower clusters with creamy yellow centers that mature to soft pink towards the edge! It will grow as tall as 40 inches with a spread of 60 inches. Pair it with trailing petunias for a stunning container display!
#6 Hot Blooded (L. camara)
This fiery lantana bush will certainly draw attention in the garden and would look sensational planted en-masse in groups of 3 or more! Hot Blooded is a prolific bloomer that produces clusters of vivid red blooms with bright orange centers. It grows between 18 and 24 inches with attractive dark green foliage. Plant it alongside hibiscus shrubs and cordylines for a striking tropical display!
#7 Lemon Swirl (L. camara)
Also known as L. camara ‘Variegata’, Lemon Swirl has interesting variegated foliage. Its leaves are green with rich cream edges, making it a wonderful accent shrub or hedge for the garden! This lantana variety will grow between 4 and 6 feet tall and will bloom almost year-round in frost-free regions with clusters of sunshine yellow flowers! Plant it alongside fences in Mediterranean or informal gardens!
#8 Lucky Sunrise Rose (L. camara)
This delightful lantana bush is part of the Lucky series and will bring beautiful color into the garden! Plant it along tropical borders or in patio gardens to brighten up a sunny corner. Lucky Sunrise Rose is a low-growing cultivar that can be up to 16 inches tall making it ideal for container planting! Keep it outdoors year-round in frost-free climates, otherwise overwinter potted plants, or grow it as an annual. Blooms form dense clusters with fiery orange centers and rich purple-pink outer edges!
#9 Mary Ann (L. camara)
Mary Ann is a particularly cold-hardy L. camara cultivar that is hardy down to zone 7! It is considered medium-sized at 30 inches tall and would be well suited to containers, beds, and borders! Its foliage is dark green and contrasts nicely with its light flower clusters. Blooms are pale yellow with golden yellow throats and mature to pale lilac-pink with bright orange throats. Plant it in cottage or coastal-style gardens.
#10 Miss Huff (L. camara)
Miss Huff is another particularly hardy lantana cultivar that can be grown year-round in USDA zones 7-11. This is a tall variety reaching between 4 and 6 feet, making it perfect as an informal hedge! It produces masses of upright blooms with almost spherical clusters of brightly colored, sometimes three-toned flowers. Flowers open as golden yellow before fading to a pinky-orange and maturing to dusty pink!
#11 Mozella (L. camara)
This lantana plant is a spreading variety that grows as wide as 4 feet and can be up to 2 feet high. It goes wonderfully in coastal gardens alongside lavender and white foxgloves! It has two-toned flower clusters with buttery yellow centers and dusty lilac edges. Blooms have bold orange throats.
#12 Patriot Cowboy (L. camara)
Patriot Cowboy, a member of the Patriot series, is an extremely compact lantana bush growing only 12 inches tall and wide! Grow in containers to brighten up a patio or city garden, or along borders in tropical gardens. It has vivid blooms that grow together to form densely packed umbels. Its blooms begin as orange buds that open to become sunshine yellow, before maturing to a fiery orange!
#13 Patriot Desert Sunset (L. camara)
This eye-catching lantana shrub grows between 24 and 36 inches and is winter hardy down to zone 9. It has vivid blooms making it a top contender for tropical gardens alongside hibiscus shrubs and heliconias! Clusters are made up of coral inner blooms with bright orange throats, and hot pink outer blooms that have deep pink throats.
#14 Patriot Honeylove (L. camara)
Honeylove is a relatively compact lantana type that can be up to 2 feet tall, it has a spreading habit and will grow to 3 feet wide. Ideal for containers or even hanging baskets, it will trail slightly over the edge giving a lovely display! Its blooms open as pale yellow with golden yellow throats before aging to pale pink with orange throats.
#15 Patriot Rainbow (L. camara)
This low-growing lantana plant has a final height of 1 foot and a maximum spread of 15 inches. It is perfect for growing in pots and would be well suited for patios or Mediterranean-style gardens! This variety is suited for zones 9-11 and has rich, dark green foliage. Flower clusters have golden yellow centers that fade with maturity to cerise pink along the outer edges.
#16 Pineapple (L. camara)
Pineapple has relatively large blooms that are bold golden yellow. Its vivid flowers would make a statement in any garden and would certainly brighten up sunny patio corners! It has deep green foliage with larger than average leaves and grows as tall as 1.5 feet with a spread of 2 feet. Plant it in tropical or Mediterranean-style gardens.
#17 Samantha (L. camara)
Samantha, similar to L. camara ‘Lemon Swirl’ is an interesting variegated lantana. However, it is a medium-sized type growing as high as 2 to 3 feet only. It is ideal for container planting and has wonderful dark green foliage with cream edges and bright yellow flowers! This is a sterile variety that will not produce berries making it a great choice for households with pets or young children!
#18 Silver Mound (L. camara)
This lantana cultivar is low-growing and has a spreading habit. It can grow up to 2 feet tall and may spread as wide as 4 feet! Its foliage is dark green and contrasts with its densely packed clusters of golden-throated white flowers. This is a fantastic choice for attracting pollinators into the garden and it would look delightful in coastal or cottage-style beds or borders!
#19 Texas Lantana (L. horrida)
Lantana horrida also called the Texas Lantana or L. urticoides is native to parts of Texas, Southern Arizona, and Mexico. This species of lantana is winter hardy down to USDA zone 8 and will reach heights between 3 and 6 feet. It blooms from mid-spring to late fall and produces dense clusters of colorful flowers that are red, orange, and yellow, with darker throats. This lantana species will attract butterflies into the garden!
#20 Buttonsage (L. involucrata)
Native to Florida, Mexico, and several tropical American islands, Buttonsage is a beautiful lantana flower that will attract bees and butterflies into the garden! This lantana bush has a spreading habit and can reach as wide as 5 feet! It can be 3 to 5 feet high and is heavily branched making it a good candidate for an informal hedge. Flowers are fragrant and grow in small clusters made up of white or lavender blooms with yellow throats. It is well-suited to coastal gardens and environments and hardy in zones 8-11.
#21 Trailing Lantana (L. montevidensis)
The Trailing Lantana, also known as Wild Verbena, is native to Uruguay and is a low-growing, spreading lantana species. It reaches a maximum height of 1 foot tall and will spread as wide as 6 feet! It is fantastic for ground cover but also makes an attractive container plant that will tumble over the edge of its pot. Grow is as evergreen in zones 9-11 and in colder climates overwinter it indoors or grow it as an annual. It has green foliage and produces umbels of densely packed lavender flowers.
#22 Lavender Swirl (L. montevidensis)
Lavender Swirl is a delightful lantana type that grows between 8 and 12 inches tall and may spread up to 6 feet. It produces masses of flower clusters with crisp white or lavender blooms with golden yellow throats. Plant it in beds and borders of cottage-style or Mediterranean gardens, or grow it as a container plant in patio or city gardens!
#23 White Lightnin’ (L. montevidensis)
White Lightnin’ is a great choice for patio or city gardens! Expect it to spread as wide as 3 to 6 feet and reach a maximum height of 1 foot. It is a prolific bloomer and will produce long-lasting clusters of pure white flowers with bright yellow throats. Plant it in raised beds in city gardens where it will tumble over the edge nicely and make a haven for pollinators!
#24 Shrub Verbena (L. trifolia)
Shrub Verbena is native to parts of Central and South America and the West Indies. It is a tropical plant hardy to zones 10-11. It grows between 2 and 5 feet with a maximum spread of 3 feet, and makes a wonderful container specimen! Flowers are typically soft lavender but occasionally may be closer to pink or white. They grow in densely packed clusters that stand out against the bright green foliage!
