Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Radiation Lantana
Radiation Lantana is one of the larger bush lantanas, with clusters of orange-red flowers touched with yellow from spring until the first frost. It grows fast into a mound about 3 to 5 feet tall and a little wider, so a few plants fill a hot bed in one season. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off walls and driveways. Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visit the flowers all season.
Best for: hot beds along driveways and walls, mass plantings, banks and slopes, and butterfly and hummingbird gardens.
Radiation takes full sun and the reflected heat off sidewalks, driveways and walls, and it blooms more with more sun. Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart and a few plants fill a hot bed in one season.
It grows fast into a mound 3 to 6 feet wide, so it covers banks, slopes and large beds quickly. Plant closer, about 4 feet apart, when you want the bed filled sooner.
Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees visit the orange-red flower clusters from spring until frost. Put it where you can see the flowers from a window or patio.
A freeze burns it back, so expect bare stems in a cold winter until you cut it back in March. Whiteflies can build up in late summer. The berries and leaves are toxic to pets.
- Plant to plant4-6 ft apart
- Faster bed fill4 ft apart
Water often for the first few weeks after planting, then taper off. Once it is rooted, water about once a week in summer and less often in the cooler months.
Leave frost-damaged growth in place until frost danger passes, usually early March in Phoenix. Then cut it back hard to about 6 inches, or close to the ground. It regrows from the base.
Whiteflies often build up on lantana in late summer. Check under the leaves and control them if their numbers climb.
The leaves can irritate skin, and all parts are toxic if eaten. Wear gloves when pruning, and keep pets from chewing the plant or its 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.
How big does Radiation lantana get?
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, which makes it one of the larger bush lantanas. Give it room, or cut it back in spring to keep it smaller.
What color are Radiation lantana flowers?
The flowers are orange-red with yellow touches, in round clusters. They bloom from spring until the first frost, so plant it where you want color most of the year.
How far apart should I plant Radiation lantana?
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart center to center, or about 4 feet apart for faster cover. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Can Radiation lantana take reflected heat?
Yes. Plant it in full sun, even next to hot sidewalks, driveways and walls. It blooms more with more sun and also grows in part sun.
How often should I water Radiation lantana?
Water often for the first few weeks, then taper off. Once it is rooted, water about once a week in summer and less often in the cooler months.
What happens to Radiation lantana in a freeze?
Frost burns the leaves and stems back, and it regrows from the base. Leave the damage in place until frost danger passes, usually early March, then cut it back.
How far should I cut it back in spring?
Cut it back hard in early March, to about 6 inches or close to the ground. It regrows quickly and blooms on the new growth.
Does Radiation lantana attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees visit the flowers. Plant it in full sun where it blooms the most.
Is Radiation lantana poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes. All parts of lantana are toxic to dogs, cats and horses, especially the berries. Plant it where pets will not chew it, and call your vet if they eat it.
What are the tiny white bugs on my lantana?
Those are usually whiteflies, the main pest on lantana, and they often build up in late summer. Check under the leaves and control them if their numbers climb.
Will rabbits eat Radiation lantana?
Rabbits and deer tend to leave lantana alone because of its aromatic leaves. It is a good pick where they browse other plants.
Can Radiation lantana bother allergies or skin?
Yes, it can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies. The leaves can also irritate skin, so wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune it.
Radiation Lantana for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Radiation is a bush lantana grown across the Valley for its orange-red flower clusters and fast growth in full sun. This page covers its size, spacing, watering, frost and spring cutback, and what visits the flowers.
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 Radiation lantana get in Phoenix?
Plan for a mound about 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It grows fast in full sun, so a young plant reaches size quickly. A hard cut in March keeps it in bounds.
How far apart to plant Radiation lantana
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart center to center. For faster cover on a slope or a big bed, plant about 4 feet apart.
Radiation lantana for reflected heat
It takes full sun and the reflected heat off walls, sidewalks and driveways. The more sun it gets, the more it blooms.
When to cut back lantana in Arizona
After a freeze, wait until frost danger passes, usually early March. Then cut Radiation back to about 6 inches or close to the ground, and it regrows fast.
How often to water Radiation lantana in summer
Once it is rooted, water it about once a week in summer and less often in the cooler months. New plants need water more often for the first few weeks.
Does Radiation lantana attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees visit its orange-red flowers from spring until frost. Plant it in full sun for the most flowers.
Is Radiation lantana toxic to pets?
Yes. Lantana is toxic to dogs, cats and horses, especially the berries. Plant it where pets will not chew it.
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