Lantana Question

I saved my tags from everything that I planted last year. Lantana Camara 'Ms. Huff'...is the name on the tag. On the back of the tag it says that the Lantana is supposed to bloom in Spring and Summer. My Lantana just looks like dead sticks. Do they bloom on new wood or old wood? Should I cut them back...or...is it too late for these plants?

I am in zone 7.

Thanks for any help.

Lisa

That is what always gets me about lantana- it is marketed (and priced) as a perennial ----doesn't say in some zones but is marketed here in NC as a perennial at the nurseries. Once only once (undoubtedly in a very protected spot) has it come back in my garden here in the Piedmont of NC 7b. Winters are just too cold. But, that being said --- it is a really really really great long blooming and carefree annual here. My favorite is a hot sort of chinese red/orange. (Like a chinese lantern flower) that looks so good with lavender and other purples.

missingrosie....

So...you think the lantana is dead?

maybe not.....Lantana is very popular in Dallas where I lived for several years. it seemed like it didn't take off until the sun got really strong and the days got hot. Maybe yours is still sleeping?

I would wait until all possiblity of little green sprouts ---but for me, by now, I would think it was dead. That has been my experience.

I just cut my "dead" looking lantana's back to ground level. They looked dead but when cut down low, it was showing green wood. Try snipping it off short and see if it is dead or trying to come alive.

I bet it is perennial in Texas where Babee and Jay have grown it. I hope it does come back for you --it is a real favorite for me even if only for a season.

I would leave it for now just in case but I wouldn't be too optimistic--I have had them die on me here in zone 9 over the winter. My version of zone 9 has more cold nights than the zone 9 parts of the South, but I doubt if I have more cold nights than zone 7 so there is a decent chance it's dead. I never give up on anything until June though--when you have something that's borderline hardy and it suffers some cold damage over the winter, they can sometimes be VERY slow to wake up again in the spring. Only reason I know this is because I'm lazy about cleaning up things that didn't make it through the winter, and I've had some of them finally come back to life in May/June (so in a colder zone, maybe give them even a little bit longer)

Ecrane...Would you cut it back...or just leave it alone?

We did have a very cold winter...some single digit temp nights even.

As long as you're past any chance of freezing weather you can cut it back, but you don't need to. I've sometimes cut things back and sometimes not and haven't found a difference in how well they come back (or not). I typically leave things alone until I start to see new growth because then you can see for sure where the dead parts are and just cut those out--otherwise if you cut it back sooner you run the risk of cutting off a part that still had some life left in it.

Thanks for all the comments! I'm just going to leave it alone. I'll know by June I guess...:)

Thanks again

Lisa

I grow the native variety and it's been coming back from the ground for 25 years. All of the top freezes back every year. As long as the wood snaps, it's dead so get rid of it (the deadwood, not the plant).

Most of mine are already out, some 10" high and some just now breaking the ground, but they are very well established and their roots run pretty deep.

If you want to winter it over outdoors, after the first freeze bury your plant under a foot of mulch until the next Spring.

Jerry

This message was edited Apr 3, 2009 10:02 AM

My lantana comes back from the roots every year. It is just now poking little green shoots up from the ground. Last year's branches were all dead, so I cut them back. The lantana planted in front of the post office is in a very unprotected area and comes back every year from the roots. I sure wouldn't give up on it yet.

Karen

Thanks Karen! That makes me feel a little more positive!

Last spring EVERYTHING seemed to come up before the Lantana...I thought it was dead...but around the end of April I noticed some growth and then it took off! This year its doing the same. I never cut ours back...just let it go. But I will say, when it starts growing it takes over everything else! It reminds me of when I was anxious for my little ones to start walking. When they did...there was no turning back!

My large 6' lantana comes back from the ground every year. Going on 6 years now.
I cut it to the ground in Feb. just this week, I am starting to see small green sprouts from the ground.
The smaller, new colors are annuals for me. I guess I am lucky because the labels on the small ones actually say annual, so I dont plan on them being permenant additions.
I have split my large lantana many times and nothing seems to kill it.
The butterflies absolutely love it.

chris

Lantana Camera is a perennial here in Central FL, and also on the invasive species plant list. Winter does seem to kill it back a bit, but it sprouts ferociously in spring/summer.

I have dead twigs too!
It is our first year with Miss Huff, so we are waiting patiently to see what happens. If the weather holds, I may go out and start cutting back til if find some green.
Considering this is the foundation of my butterfly border, I hope they aren't goners.

Thanks Chris for your post. It is giving me some hope.

Funny, Lantana Camera is considered an Noxious weed here in Florida. No matter what you do, you cant get rid of the stuff.