Plant of the Month – June, 2008

Trailing Lavender Lantana

Never fear: your buddy Jimmy Turner will be back with a new plant from his trials in next month’s e-gardens.  He hosted hundreds of nurserymen at the Dallas Arboretum for his annual Field Day June 25, and he asked that we give him one time off.

In the meantime, meet an old favorite from my own gardens.  I’ve been growing trailing lavender lantanas (Lantana montevidensis, formerly L. sellowiana) almost all of my life.  Here are a few of the things I have learned about it.

Needs full sun.
Handles drought, but grows better with uniform moisture.
Lowest-growing of any lantanas (4 to 6 inches tall, 24 to 30 inches wide).
Blooms incessantly, spring until frost.
Winter-hardy southern half of state only. Annual elsewhere.  Least winter-hardy of any of our lantanas.
Whiteflies (greenhouse) and lacebugs (outdoors in summer) can be problems occasionally.
Cooling lavender-pink color plays well in front of purpleheart, purple fountaingrass and Alabama Red coleus, among many others.
Great in urns and tumbling over retaining walls.
Crisp, white form, identical in all respects except color, is equally outstanding.
Can be planted at any time, even in mid-summer!