LANTANA CAMARA

THE most heatproof plant in my garden this year is rangy shrub Lantana camara, originating from Central and South America. Flowers are usually yellow in the bud, maturing to orange or red (pictured). The foliage and stems have rough surfaces, while the plants have a distinctive odour. Most of the forms available in the UK are compact and free-flowering. I grow two — Lantana Tangerine, whose flowers open egg-yolk yellow, maturing to scarlet, and Feston Rose, which has lemon flowers that mature to a rose-pink. Lantanas make excellent medium-to-large pot plants.