Lantana camara Shamrock Red - West Indian Lantana

Lantana Shamrock™ 'Red' is the most dazzling among the line of 'Shamrock' hybrids that gather naturally compact plants, forming a very flowery mound in summer. This one produces numerous umbels of incandescent red flowers, dotted with a few orange and yellow florets in the centre. It is an excellent plant for borders, pots, and even hanging baskets. The bush blooms tirelessly until late in the season, on beautiful dark green fragrant foliage, much to the delight of butterflies. A tender plant, Lantana camara is most often grown as an annual outside of regions spared by heavy frosts. In the ground, it withstands summer drought well.

Lantana Shamrock 'Red' is a small shrub of the Verbenaceae family. The origins of its wild parent, Lantana camara, also known as lantana or common Lantana, are located in a vast area including Mexico, Central America, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Colombia, and Venezuela. It has naturalized in many subtropical regions where it is considered invasive. It has given rise to numerous cultivars, including sterile hybrids that do not produce seeds. These plants therefore devote all their energy to tirelessly flowering, without the possibility of escaping into nature. Not demanding in terms of soil, water-efficient, extremely floriferous, Lantana has only one flaw: its lack of hardiness, down to about -6°/-7°C for short periods.

Lantana Shamrock™ 'Red' is a fast-growing shrub, well-branched, reaching approximately 35cm in all directions in one season. Its quadrangular section branches bear a few hooked spines and tough leaves 4 to 6cm long, rough and aromatic when crushed, with finely toothed margins. They are strongly veined, dark green in colour, and theoretically persist in winter if there is no frost. Its abundant flowering extends from July to October. At the axils of the leaves, clusters of rounded flowers, 4 to 5cm in diameter, bloom. The small tubular-based flowers change color over time, creating a flamboyant gradient on the scale of the bouquet.

Lantana Shamrock 'Red' thrives in sheltered, warm, and sunny locations, it can overwinter outdoors in mild climates. Elsewhere, it is an excellent terrace plant that should be stored in a cold or temperate greenhouse, protected from heavy frosts during winter. While it can make a spectacle on its own, this Lantana pairs well with the blue or white flowers of 'Blue Note' or 'Gletsjer or Glacier' salvias, with lavenders, vervain, and catnip. It is also a very good plant for a low-water garden, when winters are mild.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under cover (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C for a few weeks before being installed outdoors once the risk of frost is definitively eliminated.