The Easy Way To Propagate Lantana Flowers & Double The Blooms

With their iconic, colorful blooms, lantanas bring joy and fun into any yard. Easy to grow and maintain, they come in a range of varieties from the delicate white blooms of Lantana involucrata to the bolder, bright hues of common lantana (Lantana camara). One great thing about lantanas is that these flowers are easy to propagate, which means that you can double your blooms and enjoy them for longer. They can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. However, as seedlings will take longer, using a cutting is best if you are looking to quickly create more flowers.

Propagate your lantana plants in the fall by selecting a stem without flowers and cutting off about 6 inches of it. Make sure you are using sharp shears for the process. Once you have your cutting, remove the foliage from the bottom half of it and place it in water. You will begin to see new roots appear in a few weeks, which means that the cuttings are ready to be planted in soil. 

You can also use soil instead of water to root your lantana cuttings by placing them in containers with a pre-mixed propagation medium. When placing your cuttings in the growing medium, create a hole around 2 inches deep and place them inside. Then, firm the soil around the cutting and give it a good watering. With either the soil or water method, you can add plant rooting hormone powder to the cutting first, which gives its growth a kickstart.

When propagating lantanas, giving them enough water until they are well-rooted is essential. If you are growing your lantanas in soil, check them every day and ensure that the soil is moist. To help retain water in the soil, you may wish to place a plastic bag around the containers. Just like water, the right lighting can make or break your propagated lantanas. Bright light is good, but avoid direct sunlight. Consider using artificial lighting, as it allows you to control the amount of light your cuttings are getting. 

When your lantana cuttings have well-developed roots, they are ready to be placed in individual pots or out in your garden. However, it is important to consider your climate when choosing where to plant your lantanas. Most varieties of lantana are only hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 11 and can die at temperatures under 28 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that if you live in a colder area, you must keep your new lantana plants inside over the winter. However, you can also grow lantanas as annuals. By propagating in the fall for the following spring, you can create new flowers from the same plant year after year. As you grow and take care of your lantana plants, you will soon become an expert and fill your yard with their dazzling blooms.