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Lovely Lantana

July 2, 2020

Dr. Gary Bachman:

When it's hot in our summer Mississippi landscapes, one of my favorite go-to plants is lantana. Today on Southern Gardening.

Announcer:

Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Dr. Gary Bachman:

I really like the newer lantana selections that have a smaller growth potential. This creates an entirely new landscape option for lantana. I also like lantanas that have a spreading growth habit. They can act as ground covers, covered with nonstop blooms. Lantana has been selected as a Mississippi Medallion winner with New Gold lantana chosen in 1996. This plant is covered in bright golden yellow flowers. It's vigorous and low growing, with a dense trailing habit with a potential of one to two feet tall with a three-foot spread.

For the last several years, I've been growing Buttercream lantana. The flowering is very unique. The flowers start out as a bright golden yellow. The flower edges turn creamy white until the entire flower is white. During the summer season, there is a beautiful blend of these sunny flowers on the plant. Buttercream's low mounding growth is very similar to New Gold lantana. Buttercream has certainly been a winner in my landscape.

There's a new and exciting small lantana that is available this year. It's called [Allie Claire 00:00:01:18], and it was developed at a Mississippi nursery. The flower clusters start out as warm mixtures of yellow and orangy red and mature to one of the, if not the reddest lantana currently available.

Lantanas should be planted in the full sun for the best flowering performance. Landscape beds should be well-drained and amended well with organic matter. Once established, lantana is very drought-tolerant. During periods of low rainfall and high temperatures, the flower colors will make your landscape pop.

I'm horticulturist, Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.

Announcer:

Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

 

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