Lantana is a relative of the well-known garden verbena and belongs to the same Verbenaceae family. The natural habitat of this shrub is the tropics; it is most widespread in the tropical regions of South America. Wild lantana can also be found in warm regions of Europe, where it came as a cultivated plant and acclimatized, turning into a weed. In Russia, lantana is grown as a houseplant and as a garden annual. It is valued primarily for its beautiful flowers, reminiscent of verbena flowers and capable of changing shade as they bloom.
Types of lantana
a hundred species in total, but the most cultivated plant is Lantana camara (1). This is an evergreen shrub with erect shoots up to 150 cm high (in indoor culture - 50 - 60 cm). The leaves are oval, green with a grayish tint, a sharp tip, a serrated edge and a specific odor. The flowers are small, tubular in shape, collected in a dense round inflorescence. As they bloom, their hue changes very noticeably, so lantana inflorescences can be two-colored, for example, yellow in the middle and red at the edges. Flowering is long, from early summer to mid-autumn. Some varieties are capable of setting seeds that look like dark berries. They are poisonous, so it is recommended to remove them.
There are hybrids and varieties of lantana vaulted on sale, but the range of them in stores is small. Mainly the following varieties are presented:
- Crocea – the flowers of this lantana variety are yellow at the beginning of bloom, gradually turning red;
- Mixta - flowers change shade from yellow to lilac;
- Nivea - the flowers are white, gradually acquiring a bluish tint, the inflorescences have an elegant “lace” appearance;
- Lyubava - buds and newly opened flowers are orange, turning red or pink when blooming; this variety of lantana flower is often offered in seed form.
Variety Crocea. Photo: pixabay.com
Mixta variety. Photo: pixabay.com
Variety Nivea. Photo: pixabay.com
Variety Lyubava. Photo: pixabay.com
There are other varieties of lantana, including those with monochromatic inflorescences, but it is difficult to find them on sale - for this you need to contact collectors.
Occasionally, in indoor culture you can find another type of lantana - Montevideo lantana (Lantana montevidensis) (2). It is more compact, has drooping shoots and pink-violet flowers that almost do not change shade.
Description of the plant
Lantana is a perennial plant belonging to the Verbena family. It grows naturally in Mexico, India, Central Asia and Colombia. Lantana has the appearance of a spreading shrub with branched shoots. Some of its varieties can grow up to 3 m in height.
What does lantana look like?
For your information! The root system is well developed, so to grow a lantana flower at home it needs space.
Mature shoots of the bush are covered with bark. Some varieties have thorns. The leaves are attached by petioles and can be arranged in a spiral or opposite each other. They grow ovoid in shape with slight pubescence and small teeth. Their average length is 5-7 cm. The leaf blade can be painted a rich green color, when some varieties are characterized by the presence of light green stripes.
Flowering usually begins in May and lasts until mid-September. The spherical inflorescences grow from the axils of the leaves, to which they are attached with a long peduncle. Despite the small size of the flowers, they have a pleasant, intense scent.
Lantana bloom
Note! During the entire flowering period, tubular flowers can change their color from white or yellow to pink and even red.
Caring for lantana at home
Caring for lantana is generally not difficult; the only difficulty in growing is maintaining the required temperature in winter, since the plant must be kept cool during the dormant period (3).
Priming
The soil for lantana requires light, air- and moisture-permeable soil, with moderate fertility, since in too nutritious substrates it actively forms green mass, but blooms worse. Indoor lantana can be planted in a ready-made soil mixture for flower crops, ficus or palm trees - the main thing is that it contains sand and raising agents (perlite or vermiculite).
To prepare your own soil mixture, you usually take leaf soil, humus and sand in equal parts.
Lighting
Like other beautiful flowering plants, lantana needs bright light. Direct sunlight usually does not harm it, with the exception of very young and newly transplanted plants; when grown in a south-facing window, they will require shading from the summer sun.
In winter, despite the dormant period, the plant should also be in a well-lit place.
Temperature
This is the only difficult moment in caring for a lantana flower. In the warm season, the optimal temperature for this plant is from 20 to 26 °C. In summer, it is very advisable to take it out into the fresh air - onto the veranda or balcony. The coolness of the night does not harm the plant unless the weather is extremely cold.
The wintering temperature of lantana is 10 - 16 °C or even slightly lower, and the plant should be in the light for at least 6 - 7 hours a day. Wintering in warmer conditions is acceptable, but has a bad effect on flowering, although lantana hybrids tolerate it better than species and varietal plants. During wintering, lantana may lose some leaves, but with the onset of spring its crown usually recovers.
When growing lantana in an apartment, you need to ensure that the plant is not in a draft, and that the leaves and pot do not come into contact with cold window glass or frame.
Watering
Watering lantana depends on the size of the plant and the phase of its life cycle: large-growing plants are watered more abundantly, and the watering regime differs in summer and autumn.
During the growing season, from spring to autumn, watering should be abundant and regular, 2 - 3 times a week, between waterings the top layer of soil should dry out. It is impossible to completely dry the substrate, as this leads to loss of foliage and buds.
In the cold season, when the plant is at rest, watering should be rare, once every 1.5 - 2 weeks, and moderate - so that the earthen ball becomes moist, but not wet. Overwatering is detrimental for this plant, as it leads to rotting of the roots.
Any water that gets into the tray must be drained immediately. Water for watering lantana should be soft, well-settled, and at room temperature. Periodic loosening of the soil after watering is very useful for lantana - this improves root aeration.
Humidity
The plant can easily tolerate low air humidity, but in such conditions it gets sick more often, grows slowly and blooms worse. It is advisable to spray lantana, especially in extreme heat and in the off-season, when the heating is still on. When spraying, water should not get on the flowers and buds, so it is best to place the blooming lantana in a tray with wet expanded clay, sphagnum or crushed stone.
Fertilizers
For feeding lantana, ready-made liquid mixtures intended for flowering indoor plants are suitable, in a concentration of 1/2 of that specified in the instructions.
Feeding
During the growing season, lantana is fed once every 2 weeks; during flowering and bud setting, the frequency of feeding can be increased to once a week. From mid-autumn until spring, when the plant is at rest, no fertilizing is applied.
Trimming
Pruning is very useful for lantana, as it stimulates tillering and the formation of young shoots on which flowers are formed. In early spring, before the growing season, the weak and oldest shoots of lantana are removed, and the remaining ones are shortened by about 1/3. Old shoots are considered to be those that have reached the age of 2 - 3 years. At the end of the season, you can shorten shoots that have grown too long. It is advisable to remove faded inflorescences before they form seeds.
Propagation of lantana at home
Lantana is not particularly durable: after 3 - 4 years the plant begins to age, produces fewer young shoots and, accordingly, blooms less often. There are 2 ways to propagate lantana.
By cuttings. A simple and convenient method, accessible even to an inexperienced gardener. To do this, cuttings up to 10 cm long with several pairs of leaves are cut from the tops of the shoots (you can use waste from spring pruning). It is best to root cuttings in the ground. Before this, the lower leaves are removed, the base of the cutting is dusted with Kornevin (4) and planted in a damp mixture of sand and peat. The container with cuttings is covered with transparent material and kept in a bright, moderately warm place (18 - 20 ° C). The substrate is periodically moistened with a spray bottle, the container is ventilated once a day.
After about 20 days, the cuttings take root, after which it is advisable to move them to a cooler place. When several leaves have formed on young plants, they can be planted in separate containers, pinching the tops to stimulate tillering.
Seeds. This method is more difficult. Seeds are sown in February (it can be earlier if it is possible to provide additional illumination with a phytolamp to the seedlings). The soil for sowing should be light and permeable - you can take a ready-made soil mixture for seedlings or for indoor plants and add vermiculite there. The seeds are lightly pressed into the moist soil, without sprinkling on top, the distance when sowing is 8 - 10 cm. The crops are covered with a transparent lid and kept in a bright place at a temperature of about 20 - 22 ° C. The substrate is periodically moistened, the container is ventilated daily.
After the seedlings emerge, the container with the seedlings is transferred to a cooler place, the lid is removed when two true leaves appear. When the young plants get stronger and reach a height of 10 - 12 cm, they can be planted in separate small containers. If lantana seedlings stretch out, this is a signal that the plants do not have enough light, so it is necessary to provide additional lighting or move the container to a brighter place.
Lantana transplant at home
The best time to transplant lantana is the end of winter - the beginning of spring; you can do this simultaneously with spring pruning. The new pot should be only slightly larger than the previous one (2 - 3 cm), since in a container that is too spacious, lantana grows the root system to the detriment of the growth of the above-ground part and flowering.
The plant is removed from the pot along with the earthen lump; the roots are not cleaned, but only slightly shaken off from excess soil. When backfilling, carefully press down the soil without compacting it. When replanting lantana, make sure that the root collar is at the same level as in the previous pot.
After transplantation, the plant is watered and placed in a shaded place for several days. There is no point in replanting lantana that is more than 3-4 years old - it is easier to cut it out.
Features of plant flowering
The lantana flowering period begins as early as May and can last until early autumn. The inflorescences are spherical in shape and can be colored yellow, white and other colors depending on the variety.
Lantana flowers are colored in different colors
Important! When the inflorescences fade, it is recommended to cut them off. If this is not done, the berries that appear will have a negative impact on future flowers. In addition, they are poisonous to animals and humans.
Lantana diseases
Root rot. A dangerous lantana disease that can very quickly destroy the plant. Appears due to improper watering or too dense a substrate - all this leads to stagnation of moisture in the soil. Signs of root disease are stunted growth, falling leaves, buds and flowers.
The diseased plant must be removed from the pot and the roots examined. If the root system is severely affected, it will no longer be possible to save the plant. In case of minor damage, the rotted roots are removed, the root system is cleared of soil and soaked for some time in a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicidal preparation (Ordan, Alirin-B, Vitaros (4)). The plant is transplanted into fresh soil, which can be treated with a liquid fungicide according to the instructions for prevention.
Gray rot. It affects the above-ground part of the plant and appears mainly on weakened plants that are kept in unsuitable conditions (strong shading, insufficient or excessive fertilizing, drafts, improper watering). Signs of this disease are watery spots on the leaves and shoots, which increase in size over time and become covered with a characteristic grayish coating. The affected parts of the plant soften and die.
To combat gray rot, remove all affected parts of the plant and treat it with a fungicide (Hom, Bordeaux mixture 1%, Topaz, Skor (4)). It is also advisable to treat the surface of the soil in the pot. In case of severe damage, several treatments may be required at a certain time interval.
Recommendations
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Lantana pests
Lantana can suffer from typical houseplant pests - aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects and whiteflies.
Aphid. A small insect without wings, most often greenish, which can be seen with the naked eye or with a magnifying glass with a slight magnification. Aphids usually cluster on the undersides of leaves.
Whitefly. A winged insect that can be seen not only on the plant itself: frightened whiteflies easily rise into the air and fly around. Some gardeners notice that the whitefly is the most common pest of lantana flowers.
Spider mites and mealybugs. They manifest themselves primarily as traces of vital activity: this is a cobweb coating on leaves and shoots or characteristic “cotton lumps” and sticky secretions on the leaves. If you carefully examine the plant, you can see small crawling pests on the back of the leaves and in the axils.
Scale insect (or false scale insect). This lantana flower pest is easily identified by specific oval brownish “growths” on parts of the plant. With severe damage, they can merge into a continuous crust.
To control pests in the initial stages, you can use green soap - the plant is washed with it several times at intervals of a week and a half. The scale insects are removed mechanically, carefully scraping off the stems and leaves.
If there are a lot of pests and they have thoroughly colonized the plant, you will have to resort to agrochemicals. For aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs, you can use Fitoverm or Actellik; for spider mites and scale insects, it is better to use Aktara (4).
Popular questions and answers
Agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova answered typical questions from amateur flower growers
How to choose lantana?
Lantanas are very rarely sold in retail stores, so you will have to look for the plant in online stores or from collectors. This is the case when the plant cannot be inspected before purchasing, so look online for reviews about the store or private seller from whom you intend to buy the plant and the quality of its product.
What kind of pot do you need for lantana?
The pot for lantana should be about 3 cm wider than the root system. The depth of the pot must be chosen so that a layer of drainage 3-4 cm thick fits on the bottom. A clay pot is preferable: firstly, it heats up and cools more evenly, and, secondly, it is weighty and will become an additional “counterweight” for stability plants, because the crown of lantana is quite large and heavy.
Is it possible to root lantana cuttings brought from the south?
Of course, you can take a risk, although long transportation of the cutting reduces its chances of rooting. The cuttings may take root, but the likelihood of good growth and flowering of such lantana is not very high. Varieties and hybrids that are grown indoors are adapted to conditions that are very different from natural ones. An “outdoor” plant is unlikely to feel good in them.
Is it possible to grow lantana in open ground?
It is possible, in the Moscow region it is sometimes planted in flower beds as an annual, and in the southern regions - as a perennial. Sometimes lantana is used as a garden container crop: this is convenient, since the pots can be brought to a cool terrace for the winter, where the plant can safely overwinter.
A little about the history of the name of the flower
Latin America is considered the homeland of the evergreen shrub plant Lantana. Now it is widespread in the tropical and subtropical zones of America, Asia and Africa. This plant creates impenetrable thickets in places where it grows, displacing all other vegetation in its path. In India, locals jokingly call Lantana the “curse of the planters.” But in private lands, it pleases flower growers with its unpretentiousness, lush growth and beauty and abundance of inflorescences of different shades, which, moreover, exude a magnificent spicy aroma.
Mention of this plant first appeared in 1737 in the scientific work “Genera Plantarum” by the Swedish botanist and flora taxonomist Carl Linnaeus. The outline of the inflorescences in the form of corymbs reminded him of the inflorescences of the viburnum variety Gordovina, especially since the ancient Romans called viburnum Lantana. The name of the flower resurfaced again in 1753 in the scientific work "Species Plantarum", where the word Lantana, in Latin "Lantana", was mentioned as the name of a genus of plants from the Verbenaceae family. In total, about 150 species of Lantana are known, of which only Lantana Camara and its hybrids are cultivated.
Sources
- A working list of all plant species. Lantana camara // The Plant List https://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-107934
- A working list of all plant species. Lantana montevidensis // The Plant List https://theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-1081813
- Hessayon D.G. All about indoor plants // M.: Kladez-Buks, 20054
- State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals approved for use on the territory of the Russian Federation as of July 6, 2022 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation https://mcx.gov.ru/ministry/departments/departament-rastenievodstva-mekhanizatsii-khimizatsii- i-zashchity-rasteniy/industry-information/info-gosudarstvennaya-usluga-po-gosudarstvennoy-registratsii-pestitsidov-i-agrokhimikatov/Cover photo: pixabay.com
