by Lydia Holley November 1, 2021
Although lantana is often thought of as a summertime plant, it continues to bloom until frost. The hybrid lantana ‘New Gold’, in particular, sports numerous blooms in fall. It is designated as a Texas Superstar Plant.
New Gold is an especially important addition to the Texas Superstar program. Lantana Camara, native to South and Central America, has a reputation for being invasive and is listed as such in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and California. One of the best features of New Gold (Lantana x hybrida) is that it has been
hybridized to set very few seeds. The lack of seeds keeps it from becoming invasive, so it is a lantana you can enjoy and feel guilt-free about planting, too.
New Gold is an improved lantana in other ways, too. Its lack of fruit allows it to bloom longer and more profusely, and is why it has more blooms in fall than other lantanas. Lantana Camara will grow to become a large bush, but New Gold has been hybridized to stay short, growing only to around two feet tall.
There are several lantanas native to Texas which you may prefer to grow. Be aware, however, according to Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, native lantanas hybridize easily with Lantana Camara. Since each fruit contains two seeds, and birds love the juicy fruit, you can see how lantana is spread so easily. That is why New Gold is often recommended even over native lantanas for use in an ornamental garden.
As these plants continue to be hybridized, perhaps in the future we will have other colors of sterile lantanas to choose from. For now, though, New Gold’s bright color shows off well in the bright summer sunlight and coordinates well with autumn’s colors. It really is a multi-season wonder.
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