Here is a plant called a Lantana. I loved the blooms last year, so although it was labeled an annual I kept it in the cool basement all winter, giving it very little water and brought it back this year again to bloom! From what I've read, it is a cold weather annual and a warm weather 'tender' perennial. Seems to me the blooms vary in color depending on how much water it gets. I'll let you know if I learn more about it as I go. Experimenting is the key. I can't believe it survived my poor care this winter!
I've seen these plants in many different colors and they attract many different butterflies. Someone mentioned that in warmer parts of Texas they grow very vigorously as annuals and sometimes become a nuisance. I could imagine them being a problem if they weren't the hybridized variety which these are. The original Lantana plants also had berries which made quite a mess. Those with the berries are not recommended because of the care they require to clean up after them. These, are no mess at all. I do clip off the dead blooms, being cautious not to chop off new blooms which start off very small. They bloom in pairs of two. And between the fork of the two stems is where the new bloom starts.
No comments:
Post a Comment