Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Purple Trailing Lantana
Purple Trailing Lantana is the usual lavender-flowered form of trailing lantana, grown in Valley yards as a low groundcover. It stays about 1 to 2 feet tall, spreads 3 to 6 feet, and its stems hang down over walls and planters. Lavender flower clusters cover it through the warm months, and butterflies and bees visit them. It takes full sun and reflected heat and handles dry spells once rooted.
Best for: spilling over block walls, raised beds and big pots, covering banks and slopes, and filling hot, sunny beds where butterflies feed.
The long stems trail down over block walls, raised beds and the rims of big pots. Plant along the top edge about 4 feet apart and let the stems spill over. It handles the heat that bounces off a sunny wall.
Trailing lantana is a common pick for covering banks and slopes and helping hold the soil. Set plants 4 to 6 feet apart center to center. They spread fast and can knit into a dense cover in one growing season.
Butterflies and bees visit the lavender flower clusters. Give it full sun for the most flowers. In a mild winter it can keep blooming almost all year.
Leaves burn around 25 to 27°F, and a hard freeze can knock it to the ground in the mid 20s before it regrows from the roots. The leaves and blue berries are toxic to pets. Whiteflies can build up in late summer.
- Faster coverAbout 4 ft apart
- Groundcover on beds and slopesAbout 4 to 6 ft apart
- Looser plantingAbout 6 ft apart
Water a new plant often for the first few weeks, then slowly stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted, water about once a week in summer. It needs much less water in the cooler months.
A hard freeze can burn it back to the ground. Leave the brown growth in place until frost danger passes, usually early March. Then cut it back to about 6 inches, or close to the ground, and it regrows from the base.
Whiteflies are the main pest on lantana, and they often build up in late summer. Check under the leaves and control them if the numbers keep climbing.
The leaves can irritate skin, so wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune. All parts are toxic if eaten, including the blue berries.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What color are the flowers on Purple Trailing Lantana?
The flowers are lavender to purple and come in small, round clusters. Small blue berries can follow the flowers, and those berries are poisonous, so keep pets and kids away from them.
How big does Purple Trailing Lantana get, and how fast?
It stays about 1 to 2 feet tall and spreads 3 to 6 feet wide. It grows fast and can cover its space within its first growing season, so plant for the full spread.
How far apart should I plant Purple Trailing Lantana?
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Go closer to 4 feet when you want the ground covered sooner, and closer to 6 feet for a looser look. The Spacing tab counts plants for your bed.
Should I buy the 1 gallon or the 5 gallon?
Most people cover slopes and big beds with 1 gallons, since this lantana fills in fast. Choose the 5 gallon for a planter, wall top or front bed you want full sooner. The size guide compares both.
Can it take full sun and reflected heat?
Yes. It handles full sun and the reflected heat off walls, driveways and sidewalks. It also grows in part shade but flowers less there, so give it as much sun as you can.
How often should I water Purple Trailing Lantana?
Water it often for the first few weeks, then slowly stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted, water about once a week in summer to keep it full and flowering, and less often in the cooler months.
When does Purple Trailing Lantana bloom in the Valley?
Flower clusters cover it in the warm months, from spring until the first frost. In a mild winter it can keep blooming all year, and it pauses for a few weeks after a hard freeze.
What should I do after a freeze?
Leave the burned growth in place until frost danger passes, usually early March in the Valley. Then cut it back to about 6 inches, or close to the ground. The roots hold to about 20°F, and it regrows from the base.
Is Purple Trailing Lantana toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. Lantana is listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and eating it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and weakness. Plant it where pets will not chew it, and call your vet if they do.
Will rabbits eat it?
Rabbits and deer tend to leave trailing lantana alone. The leaves are rough and strongly scented, which makes it a good choice where rabbits chew other plants.
What are the common problems?
Whiteflies are the main pest on lantana and can show up in clouds in late summer, so check under the leaves and control them if they build up. Frost burn in a cold winter is the other common issue.
Can Purple Trailing Lantana bother allergies or skin?
Yes, it can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies. The leaves can also irritate skin, so wear gloves when you prune.
Purple Trailing Lantana for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Purple Trailing Lantana is the lavender-flowered trailing lantana you see spilling over walls and covering slopes around the Valley. It spreads fast, stays low, and takes full sun and reflected heat. This page covers its size, spacing, watering and freeze care, and how it compares with white trailing and bush lantanas.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does purple trailing lantana get in Phoenix?
Plan on about 1 to 2 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It grows fast and can reach close to full size in its first warm season.
How far apart to plant purple trailing lantana
Space plants about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Closer to 4 feet fills a bed or slope faster, and closer to 6 feet leaves a looser look. The spacing calculator counts plants for you.
Purple trailing lantana over walls and in planters
The stems trail down over block walls, raised beds and the rims of large pots. Plant it near the top edge in full sun, where it also handles the heat that reflects off the wall.
When does purple trailing lantana bloom in Arizona?
Lavender clusters cover it from spring until the first frost. In a mild Valley winter it can keep flowering, and it pauses for a few weeks after a hard freeze.
How often to water trailing lantana in summer
Water often while it roots in, then taper off. An established plant does well with about one watering a week in summer and much less in the cooler months.
Cutting back purple trailing lantana after a freeze
Leave frost damage on until frost danger passes, usually early March. Then cut it back to about 6 inches or close to the ground, and new growth comes from the base.
Purple vs white trailing lantana
Both are the same trailing lantana with the same size and care. Purple is the usual form with lavender flowers, and the white form has white flowers.
Trailing lantana vs bush lantana
Trailing lantana stays low and spreads wide, about 1 to 2 feet tall. Bush lantanas grow into taller mounds, about 2 to 3 feet. Trailing lantana also handles cold a little better.
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