Lantana

[Polly]

Has anyone had any luck yet with their Lantana?

Mine are flowering well but the only thing that they have attracted are slugs

Polly

[Susie]

Mine are looking very pretty but I don't have any butterflies in the garden to attract. During this whole year I have only seen a couple of small whites and two orange tips here. A holly blue zoomed over head once. Considering that this garden should be a flippin' butterfly paradise I am really stunned that it has been so poor. I can only hope it perks up.

[Dormouse]

Hi Rosie,

If you can get any seeds off those lantanas - I'd be interested.

DM

[Martin]

Visited the butterfly house at the Natural History Museum in Kensington today and it was stuffed with lantana...

[Susie]

Would you prefer seed or cuttings, DM? I tend not to let seed set on the plants until the end of the summer as I want as many flowers as possible but I am going to be taking cuttings and trying to root them for a couple of other people who have said that they are interested so I can easily do some more.

Was it an interesting visit, Martin? I may drag the kids around there during the school holidays if it is worth the trip.

[Martin]

Well, seeing as it's right in the front yard of the (free) Natural History Museum I'd say yes.

Martin.

PS - the butterfly house is £5 for adults and £3:50 for kids.

[champ]

Lantanas root so easily its hardly worth bothering with seeds.Stick cuttings in from now till the autumn while the weather is warm.If three - five cuttings are inserted in a small pot for the next couple of weeks and the potful is moved into a larger pot as soon as they are rooted there should be enough time to have a flowering plant this season.Keep them inside a green house till they are ready.
Later cuttings can be overwintered in the small pot for potting on in spring to make large summer plants next year.Whitefly can be a serious problem on Lantanas rub them off as soon as any are seen.The early stage of the pest looks like a small scale wipe these off if you can.
Hope this is useful, Pete. ...

[Susie]

Yep, that was useful. Thanks, Pete.

[Polly]

At last... a butterfly nectaring on the Lantana in my front garden today! I never saw it on the colourful flowers, only on the whitish ones.

[Susie]

That's great, Polly.

Glad to know that you have got results.

[Shirley Roulston]

Hi Rosy,

I have discovered Lantana seeds in the seed merchants Thomson and Morgan, I think they are sold 20 seeds for about £3. According to the garden centre they are a bedding plant but its a thought for next summer, I will buy some later on and see if I can grow any, the photos of the flowers are really nice and also its nice to try something different. I've enjoyed reading all the comments on this flower, very interesting.

[Susie]

Lantana are a really pretty flower and seem easy to take cuttings from (unfortunately all the cuttings I took died when I was away on holiday, but that was my fault). However, as far as butterflies are concerned, with the exception of Polly's comment above I have found them totally useless.

Mine are situated in a prime spot, they get sunshine for the best part of the day but I haven't seen a single butterfly on them. Even the lobelia gets a visit from the butterflies but they ignore the lantanas.

I will try to overwinter the lantanas I have but if they fail I shalln't bother to buy more next year.