Lantana is the ‘It’ plant for 2020 in the Bay Area and beyond
More than 300 years after it first became wildly popular in gardens, lantana remains a reliable mainstay in the garden.
Now the National Garden Bureau has determined 2020 to be the year of the lantana, and it’s not hard to see why. The plants grow well in the Bay Area, able to withstand the heat of summer and the chill of winter nights, while producing long-lasting blooms in a rainbow of colors. Lantana also is an excellent plant for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Lantana has clusters of flowers in bright and multiple colors, and grows easily in the ground, in containers and even hanging baskets.
Lantana is part of the verbena family (Verbenaceae), and there are 150 species to choose from. The flat-topped flower clusters make perfect “landing pads” for pollinators to perch on. The plants come in red, orange, yellow, white, pink, purple and lavender hues, and often have a slight, spicy fragrance.
Here are some tips on growing them.
• Lantanas grow best with at least eight hours of full sun per day and in a variety of well-drained soil. They are tolerant of salt.
• Avoid overwatering or placing them in poorly drained locations.
• Lantana are disease-resistant although powdery mildew can be a problem if the plants are kept too wet and aren’t given enough sun. Keeping the plants too damp also can lead to root rot and sooty mold.
• Avoid giving them too much fertilizer or the lantana will develop more stem and foliage than flowers.
• Deadhead spent blooms regularly to keep the plant looking tidy.
• Overgrown plants can be severely pruned back to a more compact form.
• Generally speaking, deer and rabbits will bypass lantana because they don’t really care for the smell of the leaves.