But what about Lantana? What comes to mind when you hear that name?
Lovely?
Yes, I have some Lovely Lantanas. My purple and white lantanas are luscious. They thrive in the heat. The butterflies love them. They spread over the ground, forming a beautiful groundcover. There are also bush type lantanas as well, some growing as tall as 6 ft! Personally, I think I like the low types the best.
Lantanas are also latecomers. I think they are just lazy! Every spring I have to remind myself not to pull them up. I consider them lucky that I remember they may look dead, but really aren't. They are the last plant to show signs of life in my garden, and I always rejoice when I finally see a bit of green among the brown. The wait is well worth it when July and August comes around.
Lovely, late, lazy, and lucky. All good nicknames for lantanas.
But lantanas are not always lovely, like Marvins are not always messy, and Nellies are not always nervous. I also have a lantana I've nicknamed lousy. It's quite loathsome. This lousy lantana always looks terrible.
And it never blooms until late Septemer! I've threatened for a couple of years that I was going to dig this one up and throw it out.
Lantanas can get powdery mildew if grown in shade, and I think that's what plagues my lantana. Lantanas can also be affected by the lantana lace bug. So lantanas are not infallible.
Maybe next year I'll dig up these lantanas in the spring, when they are still brown, and late in greening up.
They won't be lucky then. But maybe I will. Maybe, finally, all my lantanas will be nicknamed lovely.
Loving your lovely, late, lush lantanas...lol
ReplyDelete:-)
haha - You came up with more nicknames than I had! :)
DeleteHolly, all your plants are lovely, although are lazy, late etc..
ReplyDeleteYes, we have to forgive them of being so lazy and late - when they turn out so lovely! :)
Deletelovely alliterations about lantanas... they are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed seeing the low spreading ones. They really put the powdery mildew-affected ones to shame!
DeleteI find those lantanas beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to try to plant more of these in my garden!
DeleteI love them and the butterflies they entice to the garden..however, I'm not that great with them and my friend Bob told me I was fussing over them too much
ReplyDeleteThe butterflies really do love them. Funny about the fussing - they really do like to be left alone, I think!
DeleteLantanas are lovely plants and fun use of words! Fun post! :)
ReplyDeleteI feel really luck to be able to grow these as perennials in my garden. They are certainly worth the wait!
DeleteI'm growing Lantanas for the first time this year. No sign of mildew......yet.
ReplyDeleteMine that have mildew are in a lot of shade. I think if I moved them they would be much happier! Good luck with yours - I bet they'll be fabulous!
DeleteHi, I've never grown Lantanas --but they certainly are pretty... I have a name for our Clematis this year... It's a CRAPPY Clematis.... Mr. Crappy only bloomed a tiny bit ----so we cut it all back.... That will teach him!!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
haha - I have a tendency to put clematis in too much shade, so many of mine are crappy, too! I hope yours decides to behave itself!
DeleteThanks for sharing this information -- a new plant to consider!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fun to discover new plants! :)
DeleteWhen I think of lantanas, I think: weeds! I know it's not alliterative, but it's accurate here. Lantana camara is a Weed of National Significance in Australia (that's not a good thing, despite the impressive title), and I grew up thinking of lantana as an invasive villain that was endangering our fragile native ecosystems. There are now some garden cultivars that are not supposed to be a problem, but my first reaction to this plant is still "aargghh!" I admit yours are very pretty, and I'm happy for you to enjoy them - in a different continent :)
ReplyDeleteI once watched a movie - named Lantana, I think. The man had disappeared several years before, and he was found, having driven off the road, when they finally cut down the huge lantanas that were on the cliffside! That made me realize that, given the right situation, any plant could become out of control!
DeleteI fell in love with them in New Orleans! People grow them here as annuals, and I think I'll plant some next summer. My banner photo shows Lantanas from my vacation to NOLA. I'm partial to the bright, warm colors.
ReplyDeleteI don't do a lot of annuals, but this would be an easy-care annual that would make a beautiful hanging basket!
DeleteLantanas are the lights of the late summer garden :)
ReplyDeleteVery poetic, Laura! :)
DeleteI can only grow these lovlies in containers that have to be composted yearly....I do love the low growing ones and wish they were hardy here...
ReplyDeleteI should have given more information on their growing zones. Thankfully, here, they are perennial.
DeleteOne man's rags are another man's riches! Here where they are not hardy, they are considered riches!
ReplyDeleteYes, here, they are considered rags, as they are so easy to grow! But I love easy!
DeleteI started to answer "the Band" but I think that was rally Santana. LOL! I love Lantana in the garden. THe butterflies always flock to the blooms. Your lavender one is so pretty.
ReplyDeletehaha - I should have come up with something like: Lantanas make you want to party like Santana! Or something like that...
DeleteI gather that lantana is hardy where you are. It is an annual here and requires more sun than I have. I really like the purple though.
ReplyDeleteIt does love the sun. And the heat! Which, in Texas, is a wonderful thing! Yes, it's hardy here. The years it gets unusually cold, I worry about it, but so far they have kept returning!
DeleteJust keep threatening to dig it up and it will start performing soon. One of my favorite penstemon is plagued with powdery mildew, but I can't dig it up because the flowers are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteFunny how plants know if you're unhappy with them - and try to do better if they're faced with extermination! :)
DeleteI have lousy luck with lantanas! I thought I was growing them in too much shade, but even in full sun they languish. Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your lousy luck with lantanas! I would have thought with full sun they would do well. Perhaps you're overwatering. They're tough - and like adverse conditions!
DeleteI've only grown lantanas in an area with high summer temperatures, so I've never experienced the powdery mildew problem. I was just relieved that my lantana didn't languish in the heat. In fact, they out performed almost everything else in bloom during the hottest part of the year. I agree with you that the low growing varieties always seem to look the best. Some tall lantanas can get downright leggy!
ReplyDeleteThey really do like hot weather. Which is nice, because so many plants sulk. This gives my garden a little bit of a boost - at least something is happy when the temperatures soar!
Delete