Get It Growing for 10/02/26

It may seem strange that we’re writing about lantana, a decidedly heat-loving plant, in October.

Well known for its profuse flowers, lantana is a longtime favorite of Louisiana gardeners looking for plants that can withstand our intense summers. But it is underappreciated as a fall plant.

“They’re one of the longest-flowering plants that you’ll see in the warm season,” said Caroline Blanchard, trials coordinator at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station. “So even until first frost, you’ll see these nice, big blooms, colorful blooms, that attract pollinators all the way through fall.”

While many other summer bloomers have already faded, lantana is still going strong. As we settle into fall, it continues to provide a much-needed nectar source for pollinators and just enough color to hold us over until it’s time for cool-season bedding plants. As a bonus, lantana blooms — which often include reds, oranges and yellows — are right in line with the autumn color palette, so they look anything but out of place.

Typically planted in spring, lantana is generally considered a perennial in our climate. It dies back in winter but usually returns the following spring unless we’ve had a particularly cold or wet winter. Many gardeners prefer to treat it as an annual, removing it before winter. It’s easy to care for, with few maintenance requirements to speak of, and can tolerate drought once established.

There is an abundance of modern lantana cultivars — with flowers of practically every color imaginable — on the market. Many offer compact, dense growth habits, allowing them to work in gardens where the larger, more open form of traditional lantana varieties isn’t desired. Blanchard noted that today’s cultivars also tend to be sterile, so they do not spread by seeds — a common criticism of older lantanas.

Blanchard evaluates many of those new cultivars at the Hammond trial gardens. As the warm season comes to a close, she’s looking back on how various lantanas did this year. One of her favorites is Cherry Sunrise, a new release from Ball FloraPlant that will be available in garden centers in 2027.

“This one performed really well. It has a nice, compact habit that you don’t see in those older varieties,” she said, adding that it reaches a maximum height and spread of about 2 feet.

Cherry Sunrise has dense, deep green foliage and bicolor blooms featuring magenta and yellow.

“It attracts pollinators all the time,” Blanchard said.

Another standout from this year’s trials is Bandito Orange Sunrise, a Syngenta release. Blanketed with bright orange blooms, it is an even more compact cultivar, reaching just 18 inches tall and wide.

Learn about lantana with LSU AgCenter horticulturists Caroline Blanchard and Jason Stagg.

A Gulf fritillary butterfly sits on a Bandito Orange Sunrise lantana plant at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station. Lantana is a valuable nectar source for pollinators as summer gives way to fall. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

A common buckeye butterfly visits a Shamrock Cherry Sunrise lantana plant at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Shamrock Cherry Sunrise lantana has a dense, compact, rounded form. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Shamrock Cherry Sunrise lantana’s bicolor blooms feature magenta and yellow. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Bandito Orange Sunrise lantana has orange blooms and a compact growth habit. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter