Botanical Name: Lantana camara ‘Bandana® Cherry Sunrise’

Common Name: Lantana

Hardiness Zone: Perennial in Warm Regions (USDA Zones 9–11); Grown as an Annual Elsewhere

Size: 12–18" Tall × 18–24" Spread

Growth Habit: Compact, Mounding, Well-Branched Habit

Sunlight: Full Sun (Best Flowering and Color)

Soil: Well-Drained Soil; Tolerates Poor or Sandy Soils

Water Needs: Low; Drought Tolerant Once Established

Bloom Season: Late Spring through Frost

Fertilizer: Minimal; Avoid Excess Nitrogen

Features: Cherry Red, Pink, and Yellow Multicolor Blooms, Compact Habit, Excellent Heat Tolerance, Pollinator Friendly

Uses: Containers, Borders, Mass Plantings, Pollinator Gardens, Low-Maintenance Landscapes

Patent: ✔ Patented

Propagation: ❌ Propagation Prohibited Without License

See our complete Lantana Growth & Care Guide for more in depth care details.

More About Lantana ‘Bandana® Cherry Sunrise’

‘Bandana® Cherry Sunrise’ is one of those Lantana varieties that stops people in their tracks when they walk through the nursery. The flower clusters blend cherry red, soft pink, and warm golden yellow, and as each bloom matures, the colors shift and deepen, creating that layered sunrise effect the name promises. Up close, you can actually see the gradient happening across the cluster, which gives the plant movement instead of just a flat block of color. In full sun, especially in the thick of Summer, those tones stay rich and saturated rather than fading out, which is something I pay close attention to in our heat.

As part of the Bandana® Series, this variety was bred for tighter branching, compact growth, and uniform performance across the crop. That matters more than people realize. Older Lantanas could get big, loose, and leggy by midseason, but ‘Cherry Sunrise’ keeps a controlled, mounded shape that looks intentional in both containers and landscape beds. It delivers that bold, nonstop bloom Lantana is known for, but in a cleaner, more manageable package. The plant fills out evenly without overwhelming its neighbors, which makes it incredibly easy to design with.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

In our Zone 8a trials here in the Upstate, ‘Bandana® Cherry Sunrise’ has proven itself through some seriously hot Summers. Once established, it handles dry stretches without blinking and continues pushing fresh bloom clusters when many other annuals start to slow down. The habit stays rounded and full with very little trimming, which means less maintenance for us and for customers. That kind of consistency is exactly what we look for when deciding which varieties earn their space in production.

We also love it for its pollinator activity. Butterflies seem to find it quickly, and bees work the clusters steadily throughout the day. Even during prolonged heat and drought, the flower color holds strong instead of washing out. It performs just as well spilling from a sunny container as it does anchoring the front of a landscape bed. If someone asks me for a multi-color Lantana that checks all the boxes, ‘Bandana® Cherry Sunrise’ is always near the top of the list.

Bandana® Cherry Sunrise vs. Other Lantana

Cherry Sunrise is the most dynamic color offerings in the Bandana® Series, blending shades of red, pink, and yellow within each flower cluster for a sunrise-like effect. Unlike Bandana® Cherry or Red, which offer more uniform coloration, Cherry Sunrise provides constant visual movement and interest. It stands out particularly well in containers or focal plantings where close-up color variation can be appreciated. Compared to non-Bandana multi-color Lantanas, Cherry Sunrise maintains better branching, tighter growth, and more consistent flowering over time.

Compared to Lucky® and Little Lucky™ multi-tone selections like Flame or Rose Sunrise, Bandana® Cherry Sunrise offers more color complexity on a larger, more expressive plant. Lucky Series varieties stay tighter and bloom earlier, but Bandana® Cherry Sunrise creates greater visual movement as the season progresses. When compared to Samantha Lantana, Cherry Sunrise relies on flower color transitions rather than foliage contrast, making it a stronger choice for bloom-focused focal plantings.