What to Plant with Lantana

Lantana’s vibrant colors, hardy nature, and pollinator-friendly appeal make it a garden staple. But did you know that the plants you pair with Lantana can elevate its impact in your garden or container? This guide will help you discover what to plant with Lantana in garden beds, containers, and pots, ensuring a thriving, low-maintenance landscape filled with color and life.

Benefits of Companion Planting with Lantana

Lantana is a versatile and highly effective companion plant. Its bright, bold flowers create stunning color contrasts when paired with plants featuring striking foliage or complementary blooms. Gardeners can use Lantana to add visual depth to garden beds, borders, and containers. Beyond its beauty, Lantana’s nectar-rich flowers attract pollinators, and pairing it with other pollinator-friendly plants creates a dynamic, wildlife-friendly landscape filled with vibrant blooms and essential pollinator activity.

Additionally, Lantana’s strong aroma and coarse leaves naturally deter deer and rabbits, protecting more vulnerable neighboring plants from browsing. Its pest-resistant qualities make it a valuable addition to gardens in areas with high wildlife pressure. Lantana’s ability to thrive in hot, dry conditions also makes it an ideal partner for other drought-tolerant plants. By pairing Lantana with plants that share similar water needs, gardeners can create a low-maintenance garden that requires less frequent watering.

Above, note annual Samantha Lantana paired with annual Vista Hoopla Orchid Petunia. Surrounding perennials include Peonies, Lavender, and Bearded Iris as the backdrop and, to the right, the red and yellow annual Downtown Greenville Coleus as the border.

What to Plant with Lantana in the Garden

By pairing Lantana with plants that thrive in similar conditions, you can create a cohesive and vibrant landscape that blooms all season long. Here are some of the best plants to pair with Lantana in your garden:

Sun-Loving Annuals

Pair Lantana with other sun-loving flowers and annuals to create a garden bursting with continuous color. These companions share similar light and water needs, making them easy to care for together.

  • Zinnias: Planting Zinnias with Lantana creates a riot of color. Both plants thrive in full sun and produce non-stop blooms from spring to fall.

  • Marigolds: Marigolds’ warm, golden hues blend naturally with Lantana’s bright yellow, orange, and red flowers. Their pest-repelling properties also support a healthy garden.

  • Petunias and Calibrachoa: With similar growth habits, Petunias and Calibrachoa pair seamlessly with Lantana, creating a cohesive, colorful garden bed.

  • Scaevola: Like Lantana, Scaevola is heat-tolerant and drought-resistant, making it a perfect partner for Lantana in sunny garden beds.

Drought-Tolerant Perennials

For a garden that’s low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, pair Lantana with hardy perennials that can withstand heat and dry conditions. These plants thrive in similar environments, making them the perfect companions.

  • Russian Sage: The lavender-blue flowers of Russian Sage add vertical interest and cool-toned contrast to Lantana’s fiery blooms.

  • Salvia: The tall, spiky blooms of Salvia provide height and vertical interest. Pair with Lantana to create a layered, multi-dimensional garden bed.

  • Sedum: Low-growing Sedum works well as ground cover around Lantana’s base, filling gaps with its lush foliage and star-shaped flowers.

Contrasting Foliage Plants 

Introduce texture and visual depth to your garden by pairing Lantana with plants that have contrasting foliage. These companions highlight Lantana’s bold flowers while adding interest and structure to the landscape.

  • Dusty Miller: The silvery-gray foliage of Dusty Miller provides a beautiful contrast against Lantana’s vivid yellow, red, and orange blooms.

  • Coleus: Known for its multicolored foliage, Coleus’ bold patterns add depth and dimension to Lantana’s floral display.

Plants to Avoid Pairing with Lantana

Not all plants make good companions for Lantana. Avoid pairing Lantana with these plants:

  • Shade-Loving Plants: Ferns, Impatiens, and Astilbe require shade, making them unsuitable companions for sun-loving Lantana.

  • Moisture-Loving Plants: Plants like ferns, hostas, and hydrangeas require consistent moisture, which conflicts with Lantana’s drought tolerance.

  • Overly Aggressive Spreaders: Avoid plants like mint, which may overrun Lantana’s space and compete for nutrients.

How To Use Lantana In Pots & Containers

When growing Lantana in pots or containers, it's essential to consider pot size, drainage, soil, and sunlight for healthy growth. Choose a pot or container that is at least 12–18 inches in diameter to provide ample space for the roots to spread, as Lantana’s vigorous growth can quickly outgrow smaller pots. Lantana thrives in full sun, requiring 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal blooms. Position the container in a sunny spot and rotate it every few weeks to encourage even growth. Without adequate light, the plant may become leggy as it stretches toward the sun.

Proper drainage is crucial to prevent root rot, so select a pot with multiple drainage holes and consider adding a layer of gravel or stones at the bottom to prevent water from pooling. This extra layer allows excess water to escape more easily, reducing the risk of soggy roots that can suffocate the plant. Use a well-draining potting mix, ideally one designed for containers, or amend standard soil with sand, perlite, or grit to improve drainage and ensure the roots receive adequate oxygen.

To create stunning pairings, consider using the "Thriller, Filler, Spiller" method, a design approach that provides height, volume, and cascading movement. Lantana’s versatile growth habit allows it to function as either a Filler or Spiller, depending on the variety. Pair Lantana with complementary plants to create lush, colorful arrangements that thrive all season long. This method not only maximizes visual appeal but also ensures a balanced, dynamic display that draws attention to your container garden.

Thrillers to Use with Lantana

Thrillers add vertical height and strong visual interest to container gardens, drawing the eye upward. When paired with Lantana as a Filler or Spiller, thrillers create a balanced, eye-catching display. Here are some ideas for thrillers to use with Lantana.

  • Dracaena (Spike Plant): The upright, spiky foliage of Dracaena brings vertical structure to container displays.

  • Ornamental Grasses: Purple fountain grass or dwarf grasses add height, texture, and movement, providing a striking contrast to Lantana's vivid blooms.

  • Coleus: Unique and colorful Coleus foliage can always be used as a backdrop or border for Lantana.

Note that the taller Lantana varieties including Miss Huff, Irene, Dallas Red and Confetti can also act as the thriller or back border in groupings.

Using Lantana as a Filler

Fillers add volume and fullness to containers, filling gaps and supporting the overall design. Mounding Lantana varieties like 'New Gold' or 'Samantha”' serve as classic Fillers with their compact, bushy growth and vibrant, non-stop blooms. Their lush foliage and brilliant flowers pair beautifully with taller Thrillers and trailing Spillers, creating a dynamic, balanced arrangement.

Most of the Lantana camara varieties act as mounding Lantana Fillers for pots or for garden landscaping.

Using Lantana as a Spiller 

Spillers cascade over the edges of containers, adding texture, movement, and dimension. Trailing Lantana varieties like Lantana montevidensis (i.e., White or Purple Trailing Lantana) excel as Spillers, draping gracefully over container edges to create a flowing, dynamic display. Hanging baskets, elevated planters, and tiered container gardens benefit from the cascading movement these plants provide.

Pairing Lantana for a Colorful, Thriving Garden

Pairing Lantana with complementary plants creates a vibrant, eye-catching garden display that thrives all season long, adding beauty and color to any space. 

Ready to add Lantana to your garden? Explore the best varieties and order your plants today to enjoy endless blooms and effortless beauty!