How-to Guide
How to Grow Lantana
The short answer
Give lantana the hottest, sunniest, best-drained spot you have and plant it late: Arkansas Extension advises waiting until the soil has genuinely warmed, because lantana thrives in heat and simply sits in cool ground. Water it through its first weeks, after which it is drought tolerant — then water only when the soil is dry.
Feed monthly through the blooming season. Deadheading depends on the variety: newer self-cleaning cultivars bloom freely with no help, while older seed-setting types benefit from weekly removal of spent flower clusters. In cold-winter climates it is a fire-and-forget annual; in mild regions it may return from the roots.
When to Plant: Later Than Other Annuals
Lantana is a heat plant. Arkansas Extension notes it won't be the first thing to green up and shouldn't be planted until soil temperatures have warmed — setting it out with your earliest annuals just means weeks of sulking. It hits stride when summer heat arrives and other annuals fade.
Sun, Soil, and Water
Full sun is essential — plenty of direct light is what drives the nonstop flower clusters (Arkansas Extension; University of Minnesota Extension also calls for at least six hours of sun). Soil must drain well; rich, deep soil speeds establishment but wet feet are the one thing lantana won't take.
Water regularly during the first growing season to establish, then only when the soil is dry — established lantana is genuinely drought tolerant and earns its place in hot, dry beds (Arkansas Extension).
Feeding and Deadheading
Arkansas Extension suggests fertilizing monthly through the blooming season — slow-release at planting or a water-soluble feed every two to three weeks both work.
Deadheading is variety-dependent: many newer cultivars are self-cleaning and bloom continuously without it, while seed-producing types flower noticeably better with weekly removal of spent clusters (Arkansas Extension).
⚠ Lantana is commonly flagged for toxicity concerns, particularly its berries, for pets, children, and livestock. Don't rely on general summaries — check the ASPCA toxic-plant database or your local Extension office before planting it where pets or kids play.
Containers and Pollinators
Lantana's heat and drought tolerance make it a natural for containers in blazing spots where petunias fry — the same rules apply: full sun, sharp drainage, regular feeding. Its flower clusters are a well-known butterfly draw, which is much of why it's planted at all.
Will It Come Back?
That depends entirely on winter. Arkansas Extension describes the gradient: reliably perennial in the south of the state, unreliable in the middle, and a true annual in the north. In borderline zones, cut back the dead tops after a killing frost and mulch the crown — you may get spring regrowth, but plan (and budget) as if you won't (Arkansas and Minnesota Extension).
Common Problems
- Sulking after early planting — cold soil, not disease; wait for warmth next time.
- Leaf tip burn — Arkansas Extension points to over-fertilization, chemical exposure, or salt buildup in the soil.
- Sparse bloom — nearly always a light problem; lantana in part shade flowers poorly.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension — Lantana — Wait for warm soil; full sun; drought tolerant once established with first-season watering; monthly feeding in bloom; self-cleaning vs deadheaded varieties; perennial-to-annual gradient by region with cutback-and-mulch overwintering; leaf tip burn causes
- University of Minnesota Extension — Lantana — Lantana requires full sun (at least six hours) and well-drained soil, and is grown as an annual in cold climates