If you’re a fan of vibrant colors in the garden, you’ve probably fallen in love with the Lantana. It’s a huge hit with home gardeners for one big reason: it’s a total shapeshifter! As the flowers bloom, they actually change colors right before your eyes.
From May through October
It’s super common to see a mix of different colored blooms all on the same plant at once. This happens because Lantanas have an incredibly long blooming season, usually stretching from May all the way into October. Since the flowers open at different times, you get a beautiful gradient where the older blossoms look totally different from the fresh ones.
Keeping your plant happy
If you want to keep those blooms coming all season long, a little TLC goes a long way. It all starts with finding the perfect spot—these plants are sun-worshippers, so give them as much light as possible. Don’t forget to keep up with a solid fertilizing routine, too. Pro tip: if you pinch off the faded, wilted flowers (a process called deadheading), the plant will put its energy into pumping out new buds even faster.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet for your Lantana’s blooming season:
- They bloom consistently from May through October.
- The flowers naturally shift colors as they age.
- Removing old blooms quickly encourages the plant to grow new ones.
