Easy Ways To Plant And Care For Lantana Flowers

Illustration of how to grow lantana flowers from cuttings (Unsplash/Rminedaisy)

JAKARTA – The colorful flowering plant which has the scientific name Lantana camara has 150 species. This plant is classified as a perennial plant or can live more than 2 years and is even more fun, there are various flower color variants including a mixture of red, orange, yellow, blue, white, and pink gradations.

Lantana flowers are shrubs, the flower forms in groups like pom-poms. Each flower has 4 petals and when it blooms the color gradient will spread throughout the flower. Reported by Petal Republic, lantana flowers have a pungent spicy aroma.

Lantana is native to tropical America, particularly Central and South America. First introduced by Dutch explorers and then this flower spread to Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and Africa. Today, lantana is grown in 60 tropical and subtropical countries around the world.

Illustration of how to plant and care for lantana flowers (Unsplash/Chun Kit Soo)

In herbal medicine, this flower is used to treat various diseases, such as asthma, cancer, chicken pox, itchy skin, leprosy, measles, and boils. Several studies have shown that some species of lantana flowers may have insecticidal, antimicrobial, and fungicidal properties.

But keep in mind that this flower is toxic to humans and pets. So, if you plant and care for it, place it in a protected place so that it is not easily accessible to pets at home, for example planting in hanging pots. Well, how to plant and care for lantana flowers, here's an explanation.

Easy way to grow lantana flowers

Planting lantana flowers can be from seeds or stem cuttings. It is easiest with stem cuttings because there is no need to care for and adjust the treatment when seeding seeds. For how to plant cuttings, choose an old stem. Before planting, cut off the old leaves, leaving only a little. It aims to accelerate the process of root growth.

Prepare a mixed planting medium from soil and husks. Make sure the planting medium is just right for the humidity. Then, plug in the lantana stems and place them in the shade. Do watering every 2 days or feel the soil is dry. Around 2 weeks after cuttings, lantana will start to take root.

How to care for lantana flower plants

Lantana is a tough plant. This plant can live in dry weather, can also remain fertile during the rainy season. How to care for lantana flowers is as easy as planting them. First, make sure to be exposed to the sun in the morning and evening. But this plant will flower less if placed in a shady place.

Second, lantana plants like slightly acidic soil. So make sure the soil remains moist with the right acidity level. Third, water the lantana when the planting medium begins to dry. If flowering is slowing down, try watering it more often.

Fourth, fertilization can be done in early spring. This plant does not require special care, it just requires fertilizer so that more flowers. Every month, give this plant fertilizer.

Fifth, do pruning to encourage branching and flowering. As this plant grows aggressively, prune it when it gets thick.

Isn't it easy to plant and care for lantana flowers? If you are interested in growing it, choose a variety of flower colors to make your garden more colorful.