Luscious Marmalade Lantana

Luscious Marmalade Lantana (Lantana camara 'Luscious Marmalade')

Luscious Marmalade Lantana, Lantana camara 'Luscious Marmalade', is a vigorous, sun loving bloomer that covers itself in clusters of warm orange, gold, and tangerine flowers from late spring until frost. Rounded heads of blooms sit just above deep green foliage, creating a rich, sunset toned dome of color that stands out in beds, borders, and containers. Bred for strong heat performance and continuous flowering, this lantana thrives in intense summer sun, giving you a long lasting, low maintenance focal point in any sunny space.

Distinctive Features

Luscious Marmalade typically grows about 18 to 30 inches tall and 18 to 30 inches wide, forming a full, upright mounded habit that stays dense with minimal pinching. Medium textured foliage quickly knits together, so even young plants look substantial. Flower clusters open in bold orange and gold tones, with individual florets shifting shade as they mature, creating a glowing mix of marmalade hues on each plant. In warm climates it behaves as a tender perennial; in cooler regions it is usually grown as a high performance annual chosen for its nonstop bloom and strong garden presence.

Growing Conditions

• Light: Prefers full sun with at least 6 hours of direct light daily for the best flowering, tight habit, and vivid color.
• Soil: Performs well in average, well drained soils and adapts to sandy or lean ground as long as excess water can drain away.
• Water: Water regularly after planting to establish; once rooted in, allow the top of the soil to dry slightly between waterings, as plants are moderately drought tolerant.
• Hardiness: Commonly grown as an annual in cold climates and as a tender perennial in frost free or very mild regions where lantana is widely used.
• Size: Upright mounded habit usually 18 to 30 inches tall and 18 to 30 inches wide at maturity, depending on climate and site.
• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast grower that fills in quickly with warm weather, making it ideal for strong seasonal impact.

Ideal Uses

• Bold Focal Point: Plant near entries, mailboxes, or at the front of beds where its fiery marmalade blooms create a clear focal point in sunny areas.
• Containers and Patio Pots: Excellent as a centerpiece in porch and patio planters, or combined with trailing companions for a layered summer display.
• Sunny Borders and Edging: Use along walkways, driveways, and front borders to create a continuous band of bright, warm color.
• Pollinator Gardens: Ideal in butterfly and hummingbird plantings where nectar rich flowers attract frequent visitors.
• Hot, Dry Locations: A smart choice for exposed, heat reflective spots where more delicate annuals struggle, provided drainage is good.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: After establishment, water deeply but infrequently, keeping soil lightly moist but never saturated; containers may need more frequent watering in hot, dry weather.
• Pruning: Deadheading is optional; trimming off spent flower clusters and lightly shearing once or twice in midsummer can refresh shape and encourage new flushes of bloom.
• Fertilizing: In garden beds, mix a balanced, slow release fertilizer into the soil at planting; in containers, supplement with a water soluble fertilizer every few weeks to support continuous flowering.
• Mulching: Apply a light layer of mulch in beds to conserve moisture and reduce weeds, keeping mulch slightly away from the base of the stems.
• Seasonal Care: In cold regions, treat as an annual and replace after frost; in warm climates, lightly cut back and clean up plants in late winter to encourage fresh new growth.

Why Choose Luscious Marmalade Lantana?

• Rich Sunset Color: Orange and gold flower clusters deliver a bold, warm palette that stands out in sunny beds and containers.
• Long Bloom Season: Produces generous waves of flowers from planting time until frost with very little maintenance.
• Heat and Drought Tolerant: Performs reliably in hot, sunny conditions where many other flowering plants fade.
• Pollinator Friendly: Attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, adding movement and life to summer plantings.
• Versatile Design Use: Works in containers, mixed borders, mass plantings, and pollinator gardens wherever you need a reliable, sun loving bloomer with intense, warm color.

With its glowing marmalade flower clusters, compact mounded habit, and strong tolerance for heat and sun, Luscious Marmalade Lantana is a dependable choice for adding long lasting, low maintenance color and a bold focal point to sunny beds, borders, and containers.