Trailing lantana is an evergreen ground cover that’s blanketed with lavender flowers from spring through winter’s first freeze. In a mild winter, it will bloom nonstop all year. Here’s how to grow and care for this South American native.
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis) is an attractive, low-maintenance ground cover that blooms profusely nearly all year long. (The picture above is in my Tucson garden in December.)
The more familiar shrub-like lantana (Lantana camara) comes in a rainbow assortment of colors, while the trailing species comes in any color you want… as long as it’s purple.😄
Trailing lantana is native to South America, not the desert southwest, but is unfazed by our harshest conditions — full sun, poor soil, urban pollution, and drought.
The berries, which are toxic to mammals, are enjoyed by birds and butterflies that frequent the flowers.
Why I Like This Plant
- A profusion of lavender flowers from spring until first freeze
- More cold-tolerant than non-trailing lantanas (Lantana camara)
- Grows fast
- Low water use, low maintenance
- Is happy in challenging urban settings
Things to Watch Out For
Trailing lantana has rough, sandpaper-like foliage that is covered with hairs. Some people find lantana mildly irritating, while others develop a full-blown allergic reaction to it.
All parts of lantana are considered toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses.
(If you’d prefer a ground cover that isn’t toxic, consider Mediterranean carpet. It has lavender flowers and evergreen gray-green leaves that are not irritating or toxic.)
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a trailing lantana to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Trailing lantana should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. Plants tolerate desert heat and are cold-hardy down to 10℉. In a mild winter, it will keep its leaves and bloom all winter.
It’s not unusual for the leaves to turn dark with cold. Once the temperature drops below around 27℉, it may die back to some degree, but will rebound in spring.
Sun Exposure
Trailing lantana thrives in full sun, even the reflected sun off of sidewalks, driveways, or walls. While it can be grown in part shade, it flowers more in full sun.
Size and Growth Rate
Trailing lantana is a fast-growing ground cover that stays around 1 foot tall and spreads to 3 to 5 feet wide. When grown in ideal conditions, it can reach its full size in the first year.
Soil
Trailing lantana is not fussy about soil. It grows well in any desert soil, provided it’s well-draining.
Other Location Considerations
Trailing lantana’s sprawling habit makes it a good choice for planting on slopes or in front of boulders or larger desert plants. Its stems are brittle, so don’t plant it where it might get stepped on — it does not hold up to foot traffic.
Since it can be irritating to touch and toxic for pets, plant it where kids and dogs can’t get at it.
There is no desert plant that is completely “critter-proof” but deer, javelinas, and rabbits usually leave lantana alone. It’s thought that animals are repelled by lantana’s aromatic leaves.
Trailing Lantana:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Trailing lantana, purple lantana |
| Scientific Name | Lantana montevidensis |
| Origin | South America |
| Plant Type | Evergreen ground cover |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 10℉ |
| Flower Color | Lavender |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 1’ high x 4’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low to moderate |
| Pests & Diseases | White flies |
| Toxicity | All parts toxic, contact irritation |
| Wildlife | Attracts butterflies Deer, rabbit, javelina resistant |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any ground cover in the desert is to dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
Since trailing lantana is somewhat frost-sensitive, it’s generally recommended that you plant it in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. However, I’ve planted it in both spring and fall with equal success.
How to Care for Trailing Lantana
Whether you’ve recently planted a lantana or have an existing one in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water
Once you’ve got your lantana in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern.
The University of Arizona recommends watering newly planted ground covers every 2 to 3 days for the first 2 to 4 weeks. After that, water once a week for the next two weeks, and then every 10 to 14 days after that.
During the winter, while it is dormant, it may not need any water, provided you’ve had winter rains. If not, water every 3 to 6 weeks.
How much water you should give your plant with each watering depends on the diameter of your plant and will change as it grows. You can use this chart as a guide.
| 1 foot diameter | .5 gallons |
| 2 feet diameter | 2 gallons |
| 3 feet diameter | 3.5 gallons |
| 4 feet diameter | 5 gallons |
Should You Fertilize?
Since ground covers usually grow near other plants, they often have to compete for nutrients. To ensure maximum growth and blooms, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum recommends fertilizing lantana twice per year when plants are actively growing, in the early spring and early fall.
How to Prune
Remove any frost damage in the spring. Trailing lantana benefits from pruning after the last frost date. You can hard prune it or cut it back by half — alternating years works well, too.
During its growing season, you can prune lightly anytime to control the size or shape. I have a row that lines my driveway, and I trim encroaching branches any time of year.
Pests & Diseases
Trailing lantana can be susceptible to a few garden pests, but this is usually due to “user error.”
- Whiteflies
- Powdery mildew (if grown in shade)
- Root rot (if overwatered)
- Chlorosis (if overwatered)
If your plants are healthy, insects will rarely do serious harm or kill a lantana.
Caution!
Spraying with insecticidal soap or dish detergent can kill lantanas.
Trailing Lantana Cultivars
Previously, I mentioned that trailing lantana is always purple, but there is one exception. ‘Trailing White’ (Lantana montevidensis ‘Alba’) is a hybrid that has fresh white flowers.
And if you can’t decide between white and lavender, check out ‘Lavender Swirl.’ It uniquely has both white and lavender flowers on one plant!
‘Lavender Swirl’ can be hard to find. But you can achieve the same effect by planting a white and a purple trailing lantana in the same hole and letting their branches entwine.
If you prefer a deep shade of purple, look for the hybrid ‘Purple Potion.’ These plants are a little shorter and wider than the species, less than 1 foot tall, but sometimes reaching 6 feet across.
Plant Lover Facts
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis) is native to Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and southern Brazil. It’s named after Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, where the plant was first “discovered” and named by botanists.
It has naturalized around the world and can be found growing in Spain, Italy, Mexico, and southern parts of the US. In some places, it’s considered invasive including Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, Florida, and Hawaii.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
Did you enjoy this article?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
where you’ll find more great info on creating &
maintaining a beautiful, carefree desert landscape.
Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
