Lantana: A Heat-Tolerant Flower for Pots and Summer Gardens

by | Updated: Jun 20, 2025

Lantana is a heat tolerant annual. Here it is in multicolor, pastel colors: Pink, yellow and orange.

This cutie is known as Lantana.

This colorful flower reminds me of a delicious bowl of sherbet.

It isn’t a flower you want to eat, though — no matter how yummy it looks.

It’s actually a little poisonous. Be careful where you plant it if you have wee ones or dogs.

The butterflies and hummingbirds love Lantana, though!

The flower Lantana attracts butterflies to your garden, like this Swallowtail butterfly.

What annuals attract hummingbirds? The flower: Lantana

Lantana is an “annual” in western states like Colorado and Wyoming.

This means it blooms all summer, but it doesn’t return next year.

Add this flower to your flowerpots or in the ground for a BIG pop of color.

Lantana flowers in fiery red and dark orange.

Here’s why to add this colorful beauty to your summer garden…

  • Lantana can take the heat, so it’s a good flower to try in your garden hot spots.
  • It’s easy going. Lantana grows well in sunny locations, as well as partly shady spots.
  • You’ll find it in many colors, from vibrant oranges and electric pinks, to calming yellows and purples.
  • It tolerates drought, which is good in our semi-arid climate.
  • Lantana attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Yay!
  • This plant is deer resistant, so it isn’t the first choice of deer for munching.

The annual flower Lantana comes in many colors, including yellow and light purple.

Do you live in another region of the country?

If you live outside the Rocky Mountain region (like in the Southeast or Southwest), ask at your local garden center whether Lantana can be grown where you live.

There are some places where it isn’t allowed.

Related topics that may interest you:

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Ann from Go West Gardener with her flowerpots and garden

Hey there, I'm Ann

I’m a professional garden writer, master gardener and Colorado girl. I help flower lovers in the Intermountain West get more beauty with less effort. More about Ann>

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