Lantana 

Temperature:  40-90 degrees Fahrenheit

Who doesn’t like butterflies?  No one!  So that means every one will love to have a Lantana plant in their yard.  My best friend who lived across the street from me had many Lantana bushes in her front yard. We would spend most of our summers capturing butterflies off these bushes.  I remember one year her dad bought a new truck that had a camper bed on it…we got the great idea to make a butterfly petting zoo in the back of it.  We captured hundreds of butterflies and charged other kids money to come sit in the back of the truck that was filled with these butterflies.  It was so much fun until they started to die and her dad had to clean them up…not the greatest idea ever.

Lantana is a tropical shrub with multiple colors ranging from orange, yellow, pink, red and white.  And in most cases all of these colors will be on one single cluster of flowers, making the Lantana one of the most colorful plants.  The flowers are stunning, long lasting and the plant will flower throughout most of the year. 

You can plant a Lantana not only as a bush or a hedge, but also as ground cover or plant it in a hanging basket.  Lantana plants like full sun and will tolerate poor soil as long as the soil drains well.  This plant does not need a ton of water, but will start to turn brown if not watered enough.  Your free plant will freeze so keep an eye on it during those cold days. 

Lantana plants can grow very rapidly so more than likely you will have to cut them back often.  The best time to prune your Lantana would be late winter to early spring.  You can cut them back as far as you would like and into any shape you prefer.  In early spring a good feeding will be beneficial to your Lantana, ask your local gardening center which fertilizer will work best for your area.

Enjoy the butterflies and your Free Plant!