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Lantana
Habit (mature) · Bageense / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Limited coverage
Lantana
Lantana camara
A frost-tender broadleaf shrub from tropical America grown across most of North America as a heat- and drought-tough annual bedding plant, container subject, or houseplant. Dense 2-inch hemispherical clusters of tiny five-lobed flowers — often white, yellow, orange, red, and purple mixed in the same head — bloom July to frost and draw hummingbirds and butterflies. The rough, aromatic foliage and every other part are toxic if eaten, and the species has escaped cultivation to become invasive along the warm-winter southern US coast.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: narrow (17/100)
Border
Container
Pollinator
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
36-48" tall · 24" apart
Hardy in zones
10a-11b
mild to nearly frost-free winters
Summer heat range
Hot-Extreme
hot to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
Plotwright Heat Tier Hot-Extreme per ADR 0021 — a tropical-American shrub hardy only in frost-free USDA Zones 10-11, drought-tolerant, and thriving through the hottest North-American summers.
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Won't grow here
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Won't grow here
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Lantana (Lantana camara). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/lantana
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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