If you’re hoping to fill your garden with fluttering butterflies and chirping birds, Lantana plants are an excellent choice. Known for their vibrant clusters of flowers and sweet nectar, lantanas are magnets for pollinators. These hardy, sun-loving plants bloom profusely from spring to fall and come in a rainbow of colors. Plus, their resilience in heat and drought makes them perfect for easy-care gardens. Let’s explore ten fantastic lantana varieties that’ll turn your outdoor space into a lively, colorful sanctuary.
1. Lantana camara ‘Radiation’
‘Radiation’ is a dazzling lantana variety known for its fiery orange, red, and yellow flower clusters that light up sunny gardens. This vigorous grower reaches about 3-4 feet tall and wide, forming a dense, rounded shrub. Its blooms appear continuously from late spring to fall, offering rich nectar that butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees adore. ‘Radiation’ thrives in hot, sunny spots and is drought-tolerant once established, making it a brilliant choice for borders, butterfly gardens, or mass plantings.
2. Lantana ‘New Gold’
One of the most popular trailing varieties, ‘New Gold’ boasts rich, golden-yellow flower clusters that brighten hanging baskets, containers, and garden edges. It’s a fast grower, spreading 3-4 feet wide while staying compact at about 12-18 inches tall. Butterflies and small birds love its long-lasting blooms, which persist from spring until frost. ‘New Gold’ is highly heat and drought-tolerant, making it ideal for tough, sunny spots or cascading over retaining walls for a cheerful burst of color.
3. Lantana ‘Miss Huff’
Renowned for its cold-hardiness, ‘Miss Huff’ is a reliable perennial lantana in warmer climates. It produces vibrant clusters of pink, orange, and yellow flowers on a bushy shrub that can grow up to 5 feet tall. Its blooms are a continuous buffet for butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees from summer to fall. ‘Miss Huff’ loves full sun and well-drained soil, tolerates drought, and works beautifully as a hedge, in butterfly gardens, or in large containers.
4. Lantana ‘Dallas Red’
‘Dallas Red’ is a showstopper, featuring bold flower clusters in shades of deep red, orange, and golden yellow. Growing up to 4-5 feet tall, it makes an excellent backdrop for smaller flowering plants or butterfly-friendly borders. This variety thrives in full sun and can handle poor, dry soil with ease. Birds and pollinators are drawn to its vivid blooms and nectar. It’s a tough, low-maintenance plant that adds fiery color and lively visitors to any garden setting.
5. Lantana ‘Pink Caprice’
If you love softer, romantic hues, ‘Pink Caprice’ delivers with its clusters of blush pink and soft yellow flowers. This compact variety grows 18-24 inches tall and wide, making it perfect for containers, window boxes, or edging paths. Its nectar-rich flowers attract swarms of butterflies and bees throughout the season. ‘Pink Caprice’ flourishes in full sun and is both drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, adding gentle charm and pollinator appeal to small spaces and sunny patios.
6. Lantana ‘Chapel Hill Yellow’
A hardy hybrid, ‘Chapel Hill Yellow’ is a stunning perennial lantana in warmer zones, featuring bright yellow blooms that light up the landscape. It forms a tidy, mounding shrub about 2-3 feet tall and wide. Its continuous, sun-loving flowers lure butterflies and hummingbirds from late spring to frost. Drought-tolerant and heat-resistant, this variety is ideal for cottage gardens, mixed borders, and mass plantings where bold, sunny color is needed.
7. Lantana ‘Patriot Rainbow’
As colorful as its name suggests, ‘Patriot Rainbow’ bursts with vibrant flowers in orange, pink, yellow, and red. Growing 3-4 feet tall and wide, it makes a lively centerpiece in pollinator gardens or large containers. This lantana variety thrives in full sun and requires minimal water once established. Its nectar-rich flowers are especially appealing to butterflies and hummingbirds, making it a favorite for those looking to create a garden alive with color and movement.
8. Lantana ‘Confetti’
‘Confetti’ is a playful variety offering multicolored blooms that shift from pink and yellow to orange as they age. It’s a mounding plant that grows 2-3 feet tall and wide, producing constant color through the summer and fall. This variety loves heat, sun, and well-drained soil, attracting a steady stream of butterflies and birds to your yard. Its cheerful mix of hues makes it a lively addition to flower beds, borders, and container arrangements.
9. Lantana ‘Irene’
‘Irene’ offers a delightful blend of warm orange and pink flowers on a spreading plant that reaches about 2 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. This low-growing variety works beautifully in hanging baskets, along pathways, or as a ground cover in butterfly gardens. Its non-stop blooms draw in hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, providing food and color from late spring to frost. ‘Irene’ is drought-tolerant, thrives in full sun, and needs very little care to stay lush and lively.
10. Lantana montevidensis (Trailing Purple Lantana)
Known for its cascading habit, Lantana montevidensis features clusters of soft lavender-purple flowers with yellow centers. It’s a favorite for hanging baskets, container edges, and spilling over garden walls. This variety grows about 12-18 inches tall and spreads quickly, making it a colorful ground cover in sunny spots. Butterflies adore its constant blooms, and it’s highly tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soil. It adds a soft, graceful touch to pollinator-friendly landscapes.
Conclusion
From the fiery shades of ‘Dallas Red’ to the soft purple cascades of Trailing Lantana, these ten varieties will fill your garden with color, fragrance, and a delightful chorus of birds and butterflies. Easy to care for and incredibly resilient, lantanas are perfect for anyone hoping to create a lively, welcoming outdoor space. Plant a mix of colors and forms, and watch your garden transform into a buzzing, fluttering paradise all season long.
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