Lantana in Atlanta - perrenial? (house, neighborhood, centers)

[onewoodenleg2]

Hi,

I bought some "perennial" lantana from Hasting last year and as of early May, it's still dormant. Should it be back by now? Other perrenial plants around it - day lillies, coreopsis, and salvia - have all returned. What's YOUR experience with lantana?

NOTE: One guy in our neighborhood had GIANT lantana on his sidewalk last year and I don't see it anymore. Maybe I just need to be patient.

[Nast]

It is indeed a perennial. We cut ours down almost to the ground last fall and it has just started growing within the past couple of days. Assuming something didn't happen to it, rest assured that it will be monstrous come August.

[gumboula]

Lantana likes heat. It will start growing again soon.

[pinetreelover]

I have never had good luck with lantana as a perrenial. Especially after a cold winter like this one. Maybe when they are more established they do better, but only one year out of maybe four, did my lantana come back.

[IntownHomes247]

Lantana is not reliably perennial in our zone (7b). It's perennial in Florida and probably south Georgia, but frequently does not overwinter here.

[arjay57]

Our lantana is just getting going.

I don't know what my mother-in-law did but she hers thrived year after year. The one we have came from her and it has never done nearly as well, a fact of which she reminded me several times.

[plessthanpointohfive]

It depends on the variety. Some are bandit perennials and some are annuals. With the perennial kind how fast it comes back depends on the sun exposure where it's planted and how mature the plant is.

When we planted the pale yellow perennial kind it got huge by the time the first frost killed it but it didn't come back until mid-late June the next year. However, it got huge again. And this year it's already starting to peak out in early May.

So, I'd say be patient.

Also, even some of the varieties advertised as an annual can sometimes be perennial. They're only annual because of our zone but if it's planted in a real protected place, like very close to the house in a super sunny place...it could end up being a perennial or a limited perennial. That's happened to me before, too.

Now, my salvia that I imported here from my mom's south Louisiana garden...the tall willowy one with the scarlet red and also the pale blue flower...those are ALREADY huge. You should see how big they get in Louisiana. I love it, though, because it will bloom from now until first frost.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Now, my salvia that I imported here from my mom's south Louisiana garden...the tall willowy one with the scarlet red and also the pale blue flower...those are ALREADY huge. You should see how big they get in Louisiana. I love it, though, because it will bloom from now until first frost.

Is that stuff still legal?

[plessthanpointohfive]

Salvia??? Why would it be illegal? It's just a sage.

They sell certain varieties at garden centers everywhere. The ones I have, though, are rarely found in regular garden centers.

[Nast]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Is that stuff still legal?

Salvia is just the genus more commonly known as sage, although there are many different types. You may be thinking of salvia divinorum, which I believe has white flowers. Otherwise the red or scarlet species are quite common.