In case you’re searching for a flowering floor cowl or creeping plant to your backyard, trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis) is perhaps the plant for you. This low-growing shrub sprawls over landscapes whereas cascading over partitions and climbing fences. It brings colour to the backyard with many clusters of tiny flowers that bloom from spring by frost. Right here, we’ll take you thru every part it is advisable find out about rising and caring for Trailing Lantana, together with planting, soil concerns, gentle preferences, feeding, pruning, and over-winter care.
Find out how to Develop Trailing Lantana – Key Takeaways:
| Botanical Identify: | Lantana montevidensis |
| Additionally Identified As: | Trailing lantana, weeping lantana, creeping lantana, small lantana, pole-cat geranium, wild verbena |
| Hardiness Zones: | USDA zones 8-12 |
| Flowering Months: | April-November can flower year-round in frost-free areas |
| Rising Problem: | Straightforward |
| Sort of Plant: | Trailing shrub |
| Gentle Necessities: | Prefers full solar, can tolerate some shade |
| Temp & Humidity: | Prefers temperatures between 65-90ºF and average humidity. Can survive temperatures right down to 32ºF. |
| Watering Wants: | Water deeply as soon as per week in the summertime; this plant is drought-tolerant and might deal with dry intervals |
| Soil Preferences: | Effectively-drained |
| Feeding: | Apply a flowering fertilize as soon as a month throughout the spring and summer time |
| Development Expectations: | As much as 18 inches tall and 10 toes huge |
| Toxicity: | Leaves, stems, and fruits are poisonous to pets and people |
Find out how to Develop Trailing Lantana
What are the Finest Areas?
Trailing lantana works glorious in numerous areas so long as it receives sufficient solar.
These vegetation thrive in areas the place different vegetation fail. Attempt planting them in naked areas that must be coated or alongside partitions they will path down.
Trailing lantana can be nice for masking eyesores like utility packing containers and wells.
Since these vegetation can stand up to excessive solar and drought, they are often planted up towards buildings that create sizzling microclimates.
What are the Finest Occasions of 12 months to Plant
In areas that obtain frost, you must plant in spring after the hazard of frost has handed.
It’s finest to plant within the spring or fall should you dwell in a frost-free space.
Rising From Seed vs. Transplants
You could develop trailing lantana from each seed and transplants.
Transplants are sometimes most well-liked since they assist you to begin with bigger vegetation. Moreover, a number of varieties of trailing lantana are patented varieties solely accessible in transplant type.
In case you select to develop from transplants, wait till the final frost has handed earlier than planting open air.
If you wish to develop from seed, it’s finest to begin seeds indoors—plant seeds in potting soil six to eight weeks earlier than the final predicted frost.
Place the seedling trays someplace heat till the seeds germinate. After seedlings emerge, you should present vibrant gentle for ten to 12 hours day by day. Subsequently, place the seedlings close to a sunny window or use a develop gentle.
As soon as the hazard of frost has handed, you possibly can transplant the seedlings open air.
What to Do Earlier than Planting
Earlier than you plant, examine the soil. You’ll must do some work if it seems moist or compacted.
Loosen compacted soils by digging up 6-8 inches with a shovel or digging fork. After digging up the soil, combine in some compost to enhance aeration, then add the soil again into the outlet.
Don’t neglect that these vegetation will unfold fairly a bit. Guarantee they’ve sufficient room to develop with out choking out different vegetation.
What’s the Finest Soil?
Trailing lantana wants well-drained soil. Sandy or loamy soil is good, however well-drained clay soil works properly.
Vegetation don’t like consistently moist soil, so you must keep away from moist areas.
Trailing lantana isn’t too specific about soil pH; a pH between 6.0 and eight.0 is appropriate.
Find out how to Plant
Planting is straightforward after you’ve discovered an appropriate location and amended the soil.
Place a transplant’s root ball within the floor and canopy it with soil—water properly.
Gentle Preferences
Trailing lantana thrives in full solar. Plant them in an space that receives a minimum of six hours of vibrant gentle every day.
These vegetation can tolerate just a few hours of shade every day. Nonetheless, extra solar will make them produce extra flowers.
Temperature & Humidity Preferences
Trailing lantana vegetation prefer it sizzling, or a minimum of heat. They thrive in temperatures between 60-90ºF.
They’re delicate to chilly and can die in laborious frosts. If vegetation obtain a lightweight frost, their delicate foliage will doubtless die. Nonetheless, the basis system might survive and produce new vegetation within the spring.
So far as humidity goes, trailing lantana isn’t too specific. Vegetation might develop fungal points if humidity stays excessive for an prolonged interval.
Find out how to Take care of Trailing Lantana
Watering
Though trailing lantana vegetation can deal with drought, you’ll must usually water younger vegetation till they develop a sturdy root system.
When vegetation are younger, water about a few times per week should you don’t obtain any rain.
As vegetation mature, you’ll solely must water them each one to 2 weeks.
Fertilizing
Trailing lantana isn’t a heavy feeder and doesn’t require a lot fertilizer. Fertilizing an excessive amount of may cause brittle vegetation and a scarcity of flowers.
It’s finest to make use of a fertilizer that’s designed for flowering vegetation. This may comprise extra phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen to encourage flowering.
Dilute the fertilizer to half the really useful energy and apply as soon as a month in spring by early fall.
Pruning & Reducing Again
You don’t must prune trailing lantana, however you possibly can if you wish to preserve a sure form.
In case your vegetation are getting uncontrolled, you possibly can trim the ends of the stems utilizing a pointy pair of pruning shears.
Propagating
One of the best ways to propagate trailing lantana is by stem cuttings. It’s finest to take cuttings when vegetation actively develop within the spring and summer time.
- Use a pointy and sanitized pair of pruning shears to take a stem chopping. The purpose is to acquire six to eight inches of the tip of a stem.
- Take away any leaves on the underside 4 inches of the stem.
- Dip the tip of the stem in a rooting hormone. This non-compulsory step will increase the chances of profitable rooting.
- Place the chopping in a glass of fresh water. Solely the underside few inches must be submerged, and no leaves ought to contact the water.
- Place the chopping in an space that receives vibrant but oblique solar. Change the water each different day.
- After per week or two, you must see roots. As soon as they’re half an inch lengthy, you possibly can plant the chopping open air.
Overwintering
Trailing lantana is just not frost hardy. If temperatures dip under 32ºF, vegetation will doubtless die.
In case you dwell in an space that solely receives just a few gentle frosts, there’s a probability your vegetation will survive. Even when the foliage dies, the roots might dwell to provide new progress within the spring.
In chilly areas, gardeners usually deal with trailing lantana as an annual. Nonetheless, you possibly can try to overwinter it indoors.
A couple of weeks earlier than the anticipated first frost, trim your plant again so the stems are 4 to 6 inches lengthy. Subsequent, dig up the plant’s root ball.
Place the basis ball in a big container and transfer it indoors. You wish to maintain the plant someplace that’s cool and vibrant; a vibrant storage or cool room works properly.
As soon as the specter of frost has handed, you possibly can replant your plant open air.
Repotting Vegetation Grown in Containers
If you’re rising trailing lantana in a pot, it’s finest to repot yearly. This plant grows quickly and might shortly outgrow containers.
Whenever you repot, select a bigger container and use recent potting soil.
Deadheading
Whereas deadheading lantana flowers will doubtless result in extra blooms, it isn’t vital. Since trailing lantana has so many flowers, deadheading can turn into fairly tedious and time-consuming.
Even should you don’t deadhead outdated flowers, your vegetation will produce many blooms.
Frequent Trailing Lantana Issues
Thankfully, trailing lantana doesn’t cope with too many critical issues. Nonetheless, you must maintain an eye fixed out for the next.
Powdery Mildew
In case you stroll outdoors to search out your vegetation coated in a white substance, likelihood is good they’ve been contaminated with powdery mildew. This group of fungi sometimes isn’t deadly, however they will stunt plant progress.
Powdery mildew is most typical in damp, darkish, poorly ventilated areas. Subsequently, offering trailing lantana plans with sufficient solar and airflow is essential.
Root Rot
One other challenge to be careful for is root rot. A gaggle of fungi additionally causes this downside.
When vegetation are contaminated with root rot, their roots can’t correctly take in water and vitamins. Subsequently, it’s possible you’ll discover yellowing or wilting leaves.
Root rot sometimes happens when vegetation obtain an excessive amount of water. Do not forget that trailing lantana is a drought-tolerant plant that solely must be watered each one to 2 weeks.
The one instruments you’ll must look after trailing lantana is a pair of sharp pruning shears.
Rising Trailing Lantana FAQs:
Is Trailing Lantana Hardy?
Trailing lantana usually are not cold-hardy and can die with frost. Nonetheless, they will tolerate warmth and drought.
How Huge Does Trailing Lantana Get?
Trailing lantana vegetation might develop as much as 16 inches tall and 5 toes huge.
What Do You Do with Trailing Lantana Over Winter?
In case you dwell in a frost-free space, trailing lantana will survive the winter. In any other case, cowl the vegetation with a row cowl or sheet to guard them from gentle frosts.
In case you dwell in an space with harsh frosts, trailing lantana will die over the winter. Subsequently, you have to to replant new vegetation every spring.
Is Trailing Lantana Invasive?
In some tropical areas, trailing lantana is taken into account invasive. It will probably choke out native vegetation and turn into troublesome to take away.
Is Trailing Lantana a Perennial?
Trailing lantana is a perennial in frost-free areas. Nonetheless, it’s handled as an annual in areas that obtain frost.
Will Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevidensis) Develop in Shade?
Though trailing lantana can develop partly shade, it thrives in full solar and struggles in full shade.
Is Trailing Lantana Toxic to People?
Sure. Leaves, fruits, and stems are toxic if consumed. The leaves may additionally trigger a rash when touched.
Wrapping Up
In case you’re searching for a low-maintenance flowering floor cowl, trailing lantana is a superb alternative. Whereas it’s not chilly hardy, it’ll survive warmth and drought whereas empty areas with colour.
Briana holds a B.S. in Plant Sciences from Penn State College. She manages a small market backyard the place she grows greens and herbs. She additionally enjoys rising flowers and houseplants at residence.
