Hibernating Lantana: Location & Care

For wintering are at the Lantana (Lantana camara) the right location and care important. We show how your lantana survives frost and cold temperatures in winter.

Lantana (Lantana camara) are beautiful flowering shrubs. The special feature: They change the color of the flowers in the summer. The perennial plant grows larger over the years and blooms more profusely every year. So that you can enjoy your lantana for many years, you have to get the tropical plant safely through the cold winter. But are lantana hardy? Which location is suitable for wintering? And how do you care for lantana in winter? We answer all of these questions in this article.

Are Lantana hardy?

To get to the bottom of the question of whether lantana can easily survive our cold and frosty winters, it is worth taking a look at the origin of the plant.

Lantana camara comes from the tropical areas of the American continent. That means she likes it warm and sunny all year round. However, we do not have these conditions. If you don't just want to cultivate your lantana once a year, you have to react in good time. If the temperatures fall below 5 °C, it's time to bring the lantana into the warm.

Cut lantana for overwintering

In order to prepare your lantana in the best possible way for the winter, a pruning in the autumn is necessary. This has many advantages: the plant goes into hibernation more easily, it has fewer parts of the plant above ground and therefore requires less water and nutrients. And it takes up less space in winter quarters. How the floret is pruned depends on where it spends the winter. If it moves into a bright winter quarters, it does not have to be cut back as much as with dark winter quarters. First, remove any dead leaves. For a dark hibernation, cut back all shoots radically to a few centimeters. With a light overwintering, the plant is shortened by only a third on all shoots. Finally, to minimize the evaporation surface of the plant, tie the shoots together with a piece of rope.

How are lantana pruned before wintering?

• Remove any wilted flowers
• Drastic pruning in dark winter quarters
• Cut back the entire plant to a few centimetres
• Moderate pruning in bright winter quarters
• Shorten all shoots by a third
• Tie shoots together

Tip: The sap of the lantana that escapes when you cut it can cause severe skin irritation. Therefore, be sure to wear gloves when cutting back.

The ideal location for hibernating lantana

When the days get shorter and the nights get colder, it's time to take the Lantana out of the garden and into its winter quarters. As soon as temperatures drop below 5 °C, the plant will start to get too cold outside. As already mentioned, there is the possibility of hibernating the lantana light or dark. Bright hibernation at temperatures between 5 and 10 °C is ideal. Optimal conditions for this prevail in a cold house or in an unheated conservatory. Here the rose gets enough light, but it is not too warm. In the living room it is usually warmer than 10 °C and the plant does not go into hibernation. It is better to spend the winter in a dark place, such as in the basement or in a garage, where there is no light but the temperatures are right. Outdoors, the lantana cannot be hibernated at all, as it perishes in sub-freezing temperatures. You should therefore dig out planted lantana in autumn with the root ball and overwinter in the pot.

Various locations for wintering at a glance:

• Hibernating Lantana in the apartment: unfavorable, but possible
• Hibernating Lantana in a cold house: ideal conditions
• Overwinter Lantana in the garage or in the basement: possible with appropriate pruning
• Hibernating Lantana outside: Not possible

Tip: Don't worry if your lantana quickly sheds all its leaves in the dark winter quarters. This is completely normal. In the spring, the plant will sprout again and will soon be able to bloom again in all its glory.

Summary: How are lantana overwintered?

• Bring in before the temperature drops below 5°C
• As bright as possible
• At 5 – 10 °C
• Alternatively dark, also at 5 – 10 °C

Caring for Lantana in winter

Even when the Lantana is in hibernation, it cannot do without attention. Although growth is significantly reduced, the plant should not dry up. Basically, only moderate watering is required in winter. In warm places, such as the living room, this is of course necessary more often than in the dark and cold basement. The tropical plant does not need fertilizer in winter. Stands Lantana camara warm during the winter, you should spray it with lukewarm water twice a week. It is also important to regularly check the plant for pest infestation during the winter. Particularly in suboptimal winter locations, there are ideal conditions for annoying pests to spread. spider mites (Tetranychidae) and scale insects (coccoidea) unfortunately like to settle down with Lantana. With regular checks, however, you can quickly identify an infestation and react accordingly. In order to prepare the rosette in good time for spring, it is already made lighter and warmer in February. In this way, the plant will sprout again early.

Summary – caring for lantana in winter:

• Water moderately
• No fertilization
• Spray with water twice a week in warm rooms
• Check regularly for pests
• Set it warmer and brighter again from February

Of course, there are also numerous plants that can survive the winter outside. An overview of our best hardy plants you'll find here.

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