lantana

I have a lantana standard that has some seedheads on it. Has anyone tried growing these seeds? I love lantana and they are very expensive - I would love to grow my own! Any advice? Thanks! :)

I have never purposely tried to grow lantana (it's an invasive, noxious (and quite poisionous) weed here) - but, based on my observation of it growing wild, I would THINK that the seeds should be pretty easy to grow. Since most of the seeds seem to be planted from bird droppings, they may need to be nicked and soaked before planting . .. just a guess.

good luck!

Onalee

Let's see how much money do you think we could make if we got a dump truck load of the invasive, noxious (and quite poisionous) weed in FL and drove it to PA where it is very expensive, come spring.

I bet people in FL would pay us to dig it and people in PA would pay us for it afterward.... hummmmmmmm

Are we talking about the same lantana? I can't believe it would be considered a weed, as it doesn't seed itself - at least here. I've put on a picture of a Lantana Standard Tree that is at Longwood Gardens.

OMG! I've never seen a Lantana TREE!! and here in Texas Lantana is so expensive too!! It grows beautifully and spreads over beds quite well.

But the tree!! WOW! That is something I surely want to try and grow...anyone know where they are selling or does anyone have any clippings to trade???

Gotta get one of those, maybe several...!!

Rose in Texas

I know - isn't it great??! I started my own - using a book on standards. It's doing well so far. I started it over the summer. But it will take a really LONG time to get as big as the beautiful one I saw at Longwood Gardens! If I can even keep it alive that long - LOL!!!

t ried the seed route - no luck, But I do have luck with cuttings - beautiful plant!!

What a neat idea, I think if you started a cutting and just kept the side shoots pruned off, you could produce a tree form, you would probably need to stake it. I have a couple of hibiscus done this way.

Alliee88 how did you start yours...and with what type of lantana?

I want to get mine started immediately. My DH is probably going to break down and buy me a GH and I'm feverishly looking hard for one that will fit in my yard or driveway...

So, I've been researching tons of seed starting flats to start filling my GH. I'm probably going to get it around February and that will be a little late getting all my seedlings started here in Texas, but most of them I'll get started indoors...I have a huge Sewing/Craft room that was coverted from our two car garage that I can squeeze some into...lighting is going to be an issue though since I do have tons of lighting for sewing, it's just not right for Plants.

Let me know....if all I have to do is trim existing Lantana training them to grow into trees...is that how you get a tree?

Or are they different species for that?? Questions, questions, questions....

Thanks,
Rose in Texas

sarv, how do you do your cuttings? I have 9 different varieties I've planted in my yard and I would love to take cuttings from each of them!!!

Yes here in Florida lantana is native and to say the least, Imposing. I have volunteers that I will try to dig and pot for anyone that wants to chance the livability of a bare root shipment. They also come in a crawling vine that has purple blooms. I pulled and threw away a bushel last year before I found DG. I'm sure I didn't get it all.
This will only become invasive in Pa when your temps match ours in Florida. How long we got?
Sidney

Sugarweed = you have mail!

I would Cut an 8" twig from the upper most of the tree and cut just below a node (part where a new branch or leaf would come out of the stem), strip down the bark just below the node, dip in Rootone (a rooting powder availabel at nurseries (be sure to read directions this stuff can make you sick). Then I'd take all of the leaves off accept one or two and all flowers and put it in a warm window in some peat moss or other starting medium being carefull not to overwater!

I suspect that your Lantana is the Lantana camara species which indeed does grow to 6'. Since it is a woody stem, it's should work well with the Rootone.

New kid on the block
Abbyflower

Sidney, when I was farming and ranching I found the very best way to get something to stop growing was to find a market for it.

So start a lantana business and watch your plants fail!

lol you are so right. I'm still thinking about those truck driving lessons.

dstarz - I cut off a piece, strip the lower leaves and stick it in potting mix and cover with a bag. Very easy.

I did the same thing to mine sarv48 - in October, I took cuttings, put them in the plastic baggies and put them under grow lights. They rooted by the end of November, took baggies off and now they are starting to bloom.

Rhonda

Hi Rosebruce-- To make my tree, I just followed the directions for a "standard" in The Complete Book of Topiary. But it's really easy - you just pick a strong branch of any type of lantana (no special kind needed) and stake it upright and then trim the lower leaves and branches, leaving the top ones there. It's kind of fun - I'd like to try it with some other kinds of plants. I'm going to try to take some cuttings and make some of my own plants, too! :)

I'm trying to talk my DH into a GH, too!! I think I've convinced him but we're just trying to decide where.

I hope that helped. If you need more information about standards just let me know.

You're Right - people here would pay you to dig it up! I have a neighbor who got a GRANT FROM THE STATE so he could kill all the lantana growing in his pasture - and yes,it looks like the same kind. He has pinks and orange/yellows there, but it is poisionous to people and livestock - esp the berries.

From the West VA State University web site:

"TOXICITY

This ornamental shrub contains lantanin, a triterpenoid, and other compounds irritating to the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. All parts of the plant are quite toxic and poisoning may occur year-round, but is most common in summer and fall. Many poisoning cases occur when clippings are thrown into the pasture.

Sheep, cattle, horses, and humans are sensitive to the effects of the plant. Children have been poisoned by eating the berries."

there are new hybrid kinds that I don't think get berries or seeds - - - they are planting those all around the shopping malls now, but the kind we have and I think you have is the native kind that gets berries on it after the flowers.

I dig it up out of our pasture - esp the fence line where the birds sit, ALL THE TIME and burn it.

So, get that truck ready and I can give you your first stop for digging up HUGE plants you can take back north!

:-)

Onalee

Well all you Lantana killers!!! Hear ye Hear ye....start digging those plants up and tossing them over here in Texas!!! We love them!!

I'm learning something new here. I have a very nice multi-colored bloom ( find the single yllow/orange ones very boring). Well my plant has been blooming and growing quite well.

Silly me, I thought those black things that grew after the blooms were gone were seeds. Now I see from here they were berries. (wondered why they were so squishy) So if there are berries, where are the seeds?

Molly
:^))))

Hi Molly - the seeds would be inside the berries - they may be very small, I can't remember now . . . The birds eat the berries and the seeds pass thru in their droppings to make . . .ta - da MORE LANTANA everywhere!

:-)

Onalee

Onalee,

Thank you, so those berries I pulled off do have seeds in them. I can't germinate but about 50% of the seeds I try, so I always like to try different ones.

Molly
:^)))

hey Molly - like I said, most of the plants I see that come up from the seeds are from bird droppings, so you may need to remove the berry from the seed and nick it and soak it to kind of approximate what would happen to it in the bird . . . like I said, though , I can't recall how big the seeds are, but I think they are about the size of a small morning glory seed (rather than the size of say a blackbery seed). I have no idea how long they take to come up. Be careful with them - they will really spread and take over if you aren't . ..

Good luck,

Onalee

Onalee...

Look at this: I found it accidentally on google when I was trying to pull up Coir gel...

Seed is quite large (average black peppercorn size) and easy to handle. Clean the seeds free of the berry pulp by gently squashing the berries onto kitchen towel and separating the seeds of the pulp and any seed membrane. The seed membrane tightly adheres to the seed. Its presence is detectable by the seed feeling slippery. Gently working the seed between thumb and index finger will remove the membrane, after which the seed will feel very slightly rough. It is vital that this cleaning is done wearing rubber or latex gloves - the fruit pulp is highly irritant. Gently rinse the seed in a nylon sieve and dry on kitchen towel for a minute or two to ease handling.

Sowing

Sow onto either:

1:1 ground sphagnum: Perlite, or
1:1 sieved coconut peat (coir): washed river sand, or
1:1 sieved coconut peat (coir): Perlite, or
1:1 propriety soil-less compost: Perlite


Plastic pots or trays are better then clay (terracotta). The seed should be just covered with the same mix and then well watered and thereafter keep damp and moderately shaded.

Germination takes 2 - 3 weeks at a minimum of 21C (70F) and a max. of 29C (84F).

Germination and aftercare

Ideal conditions for germination are a heated greenhouse or in warm climates a shade house. If germinating indoors then choose a brightly lit but not sunny windowsill and put the entire pot inside a polythene bag secured by an elastic band. Once germination is seen to be underway loosen the bag but do not remove. Allow the seedlings to develop the first leaf and then remove the bag for a few hours a day to gradually acclimatize the seedlings; after a few days remove the bag entirely. Allow the seedlings to continue growing until a second leaf is seen emerging.

Transplantation

At the second leaf emergence stage transplant into individual pots or, in the case of a very large sowing, line out in large trays and allow to grow on. We transplant into:

1:1:1 screened coconut peat (coir): washed river sand: crushed charcoal (max 2 cm size)

very nice instructions! I guess they don't have to be soaked, just get the fruit off.

You should post those instructions on the lantana entry on the plantfiles - - - very informative!

Onalee