‘Sonset’ Hardy Lantana

Lantana camara ‘Sonset’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7b-11 Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Perennial Shrub

Height at Maturity: 3-4′ in ground, 2-3′ in containers

Width at Maturity: 4-5′ or a little wider
Spacing: 3-4′ for solid hedges, 8′ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Mounding

Growth Rate: Fast to Very Fast

Flower Color: Yellow, Orange, Red, Magenta, Purple

Flower Size: 2″ round clusters

Flowering Period: April/May to Frost!

Flower Type: Rounded Cluster

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: Yes

Berry Color: Green

Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun

Water Needs: Average, very low when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well-drained moist to dry

Soil pH: 5.5 – 6.5 (Acid to Slightly Acid)

Maintenance / Care: Low, prune in Spring (Not Fall!)

Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Rabbit

Description

Of all the Lantana varieties we’ve grown in our north Georgia gardens, the Sonset Lantana has proven to be the most cold hardy. Sonset Lantana is equally if not slightly more cold hardy than the famous ‘Miss Huff’ Lantana, but grows only half the size, which makes it the perfect fit for smaller garden spaces and pots, planters and other containers.

What’s really amazing about Sonset lantana is how the flower clusters change colors throughout the day. The flowers emerge yellow and soft orange in the morning; by mid-afternoon they have changed to dark orange and red; by evening the colors have changed again to magenta and purple! All the colors are brilliant and both butterflies and hummingbirds will flock to the abundant flowers. So make sure to plant this one near windows, patios, decks, porches and other outdoor living spaces where you can enjoy watching the feeding frenzy!

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing in a dense mound 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, Sonset Lantana is ideal for use as an accent, in groupings, as a low hedge, or in mass plantings in sunny landscape borders and on slopes. Sonset is hardy enough that we even suggest it for use as an accent in home foundation plantings in Zone 7b and further south. Its smaller size makes it an excellent candidate as a solo or mixed with other plants in pots, planters and other containers. A fine addition to butterfly and hummingbird gardens, sunny perennial gardens, and the Xeriscape (low water needs).

Suggested Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart for hedges and mass plantings; 8 feet or more apart for space between plants

How To Measure Total Square Feet Of A Planting Area

How Many Plants Needed To Cover A Planting Area?

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b, where this Lantana variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

CAUTION! Avoid pruning hardy Lantana in the fall as doing so almost always ensures death of the plant. Wait until new growth begins to emerge in spring to remove dead stems. Deadheading throughout the warm season and a mid-summer shearing is okay.

Hardy Lantana are very easy to grow in most any moist to somewhat dry well-drained soil of average to even poor fertility and full to mostly sun. Constantly soggy soil or standing water is problematic. Some light shade is tolerated but the plant will grow more dense and produce the most flowers throughout the long flowering season (April/May to Frost) in full to mostly sun. We suggest at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for best flowering and overall performance.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, prune, fertilize and water Lantana plants.

How To Plant & Care For Hardy Lantana Plants

Designing & Planting A Butterfly Garden

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us!

I was searching for Lantana plants. I came across Wilson Brothers. They have beautiful varieties of Lantana. I ordered one plant due to low availability at this time of year. Received the plant and I can’t tell you how well the plant was packed and the condition of the plant was amazing. They even had a damp paper towel wrapped about the top of the plant for added moisture. Can’t wait to do business with them again.————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy your purchase for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Gallon plants arrived expertly packed, in excellent condition with no damage from shipping. After potting them they now keep blooming profusely and the color is gorgeous! So happy with Wilson Bros Gardens!—————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy your purchase for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Planted this in a large container and it is doing well.—————————————————-Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Doing Great! Hope it comes back next year.—————————————Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The Lantana came perfectly packed right on time. I have only had it a few days but it seems to be doing well and is a pretty addition to my yard. I love how it changes color throughout the day.. The only complaint that I have is the price. I feel that the plant is a bit overpriced, but many of the plants they have are not available locally.—————————————————-Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Review is for condition plants arrived in, which was great. They didn’t seem to experience any transplant shock-no leaf drop or anything- and are even doing well through our sudden change from temps in the 60s to highs near 90. Not blooming yet, but soon! I really hope they will survive winter, but that’s questionable here. (Zone 8 north of Seattle is not the same as zone 8 in GA!)———————————————————–Thanks for the wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I am so pleased with everything I have received from Wilson Bros. My plants always arrive in perfect condition and excellent quality. I wish I had known about them long ago as I did landscaping for a living and would have chosen them for all my gardens . I will always buy my plants here. Before and after shots Thanks Wilson Bros!!!!.——————————————-Thanks so much for the photos! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My lantana plants arrived in beautiful condition. They were packed very well and the plants (3 lantana plants) were very healthy. They have been planted and are blooming their little heads off!. Wilson Bros. are amazing in every way. I am very happy with every item I have purchased.————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The plants arrived in perfect condition, already blooming. They are growing beautifully.————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I recently received my lantana and was extremely happy with it. Delivery time was quick, it was packaged very well and the plant was very healthy when it arrived. A day or two after I planted it, it was starting to flower. Thank you!————————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Such nice healthy plants! Some were even budding up to bloom already! I’m so chuffed about the quality that I see from my Wilson Brother’s purchases.——————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Plants were well packaged for shipment and arrived healthy. The care instructions provided were on target. Plants were held for several days then set into their new home. Plants are very healthy and have started blooming. Very happy so far.———————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

We purchased a total of 10 plants which we planted a little over a week ago. They are already starting to bloom. Shipments arrived very well packed and the plants very healthy. We originally ordered 7 and they were so nice we ordered more.—————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I have been on the waiting list for this plant and was thrilled when I was notified it was available! The plant arrived well packaged and very healthy! It’s planted and looks happy. I can’t wait to see it blooming this summer! My hummingbirds will love it!————————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

These are beautiful. took me a few days to get them in the ground & they waited just fine. Had an issue with dogs peeing on one of them, but it bounced right back after I put up a protective barrier. Pictures don’t do these justice- they are gorgeous! And they really do change color throughout the day. They are beautiful, and hardy, and I can’t wait until spring for even more flowers & to see what pollinators they attract.————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Sonset arrived quickly and were well leafed out. They planted in our beds nicely. We will order again!————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

I plan on planting Sunset along with Miss Huff. It arrived well packaged, on time, and considering how hot it is right now, in South East Texas, in descent shape. I have never been disappointed by Wilson Bros., I have always received healthy plants . Thank you Wilson Bros.——————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The plant came in excellent condition and looks great.———————————————–Hi Jason, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Sonset Hardy Lantana. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Plants noted herein were received in good order and have been planted and seem to be doing well thus far.————————————————-Hi Robert, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Sonset Hardy Lantana. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

VERY HAPPY WITH PURCHASE! IT’S ALREADY GROWING WHICH MAKES ME VERY HAPPY!———————————–Hi Marsha, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Sonset Hardy Lantana. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Very pretty color!————————————Hi Theresa, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Sonset Hardy Lantana. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Got mine in relatively quickly; plant looks great; it was well packaged; 6″ pot; plant looks nice and sturdy; have already planted it and it is growing and blooming well; the key will be whether it survives the winter in zone 7B which is at the extreme edge of it’s zone hardiness to be a perennial. If it doesn’t, it will be the most expensive annual I have ever planted. ———— WBG Reply: Hi Rocky – Sonset and Miss Huff are the two most cold hardy lantana we’ve grown in our Zone 8a gardens over the past 25 years. Definitely keep us posted as to whether or not Sonset comes back for you after the first winter. Avoid fall or winter pruning as doing so almost ensures death of the plant. Wait until new growth emerges in spring to remove last years dead stems. Depending on the warm up, this could be as early as April or as late as late May in your zone. Also, well-drained soil is a must for lantana, especially during the winter months. Damp soil is okay, but constantly soggy or wet soil during winter is a killer. Thanks for providing a review and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent Wilson | Wilson Bros Gardens

While the shipping and delivery were prompt, the plants were disappointing. They were very tall, about 12″, and thin. As a result, one arrived bent and broken in half. The others were unable to support themselves when planted and had to be cut off. They were grossly overpriced and not something we would have purchased at all if we had seen them in a nursery. ——— RESPONSE from WBG: Hi Richard – Thanks for providing your review. It helps us to know how and where we can improve. First, our crop of much larger 1-gallon size Sonset Lantana has just became available (5/28/2017) and we’ll be shipping these out to you right away as replacements, at no cost to you. We should’ve known better than to make our small, 4″-pot liners available. Only reason we did it is that the crop of 1-gallon size was way behind this spring (2017), due to some late cold weather we had, and we were getting so many Waiting List requests due to the fact that we’ve been out of stock all spring. Regarding the 4″ plants being over-priced, I just did a search and the few companies who showed the plant available were right along the price of our plants. In any event, it’s doubtful we’ll ever ship 4″-pot perennials again, as most other companies do. They’re simply too fragile at that stage of growth and in such a small pot. I don’t envy companies who sell and ship only very small plants. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent Wilson | Wilson Bros Gardens