Plant Encyclopedia

Group/Class:  Luscious Series

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

This variety produces a vibrant display of red, orange, and yellow tones in the form of a small tree; heat and drought tolerant; great for beds, borders, and containers

Ornamental Features

Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana (tree form) features showy cymes of red flowers with orange overtones and yellow centers at the ends of the branches from early summer to mid fall. Its tomentose pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana (tree form) is an annual, selected and trained to grow in a small tree-like form with the primary plant grafted high atop a standard. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana (tree form) is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana (tree form) will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana (tree form) is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.