New Gold Lantana is a compact, mounding groundcover native to tropical regions of Central and South America. This popular selection of Lantana camara produces bright golden yellow flowers from spring through fall and thrives in hot, sunny conditions. Landscape architects and designers choose New Gold for its fast coverage, drought tolerance, pollinator appeal, and nearly fruitless growth habit that reduces maintenance concerns.
Growth Habit and Size
New Gold Lantana grows as a dense, mounding plant that reaches up to 18 inches tall with a spread of 24 inches in typical conditions. When used as a groundcover, this selection can extend up to 6 feet wide in optimal growing environments. The compact form and fast growth rate allow New Gold to fill garden spaces quickly, creating a colorful carpet of blooms throughout the warm season. Rich green, ovate leaves provide a lush backdrop for the abundant yellow flowers.
Flowering Season and Bloom Color
This lantana produces clusters of bright yellow flowers beginning in spring and continuing through fall. The cheerful golden blooms appear in abundance and are self cleaning, meaning spent flowers drop naturally without deadheading. Peak flowering occurs during the warmest months when the plant receives full sun exposure.
Sun and Water Requirements
New Gold Lantana thrives in full sun and needs at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal flowering. Once established, this plant tolerates drought and heat with minimal supplemental irrigation. Regular watering during dry spells encourages lush growth and extended blooming. Well draining soil is essential for this lantana since waterlogged conditions can lead to root rot. New plantings benefit from consistent moisture during the first growing season to establish strong roots.
Wildlife Value and Pollinator Benefits
New Gold Lantana attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds with its nectar rich flowers throughout the growing season. The dense foliage provides shelter and nesting sites for small birds and beneficial insects. Adding this plant to landscape designs supports pollinator populations and increases garden biodiversity. Deer typically avoid lantana, making New Gold a practical choice for landscapes where deer browsing is a concern.
Fruit Production and Safety
Unlike many lantana selections that produce clusters of black berries considered toxic to humans and animals, New Gold is almost completely fruitless. This characteristic makes New Gold a lower maintenance option and reduces concerns about berry litter or wildlife consuming potentially harmful fruit. Maintenance and Care
This selection requires minimal ongoing care once established. Occasional pruning encourages bushier, more compact growth and refreshes the plant's appearance. New Gold Lantana resists most common pests and diseases. Good air circulation and proper watering practices help prevent occasional powdery mildew in humid conditions.
Landscape Design Applications
Landscape architects and designers specify New Gold Lantana for groundcover mass plantings, border edging, container arrangements, and garden bed accents. The compact mounding form works well in both formal and naturalistic designs. This plant performs reliably in xeriscaping projects, pollinator gardens, and commercial landscapes where low water use and minimal maintenance are priorities. The bright yellow flowers provide consistent warm season color while supporting sustainable, wildlife friendly landscape goals.
FAMILY
Verbenaceae
MATURE HEIGHT
3 to 4 ft
GROWTH HABIT
Lantana camara 'New Gold' exhibits a vigorous, low-mounding to spreading growth habit, functioning effectively as a shrub or groundcover. The plant typically reaches a mature height of 1-2 feet while spreading rapidly to a width of 4 to 6 feet. This fast-growing, semi-hardy evergreen cultivar is prized for its dense foliage and prolific production of golden-yellow flower clusters, which are nearly sterile and self-cleaning, ensuring continuous blooming from spring through fall. Its robust nature allows it to thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, making it highly tolerant of heat, drought, and coastal conditions once established.
WATER REQUIREMENT
Moderate Water, Drought Tolerant
HARDY TO
20°F
NATIVE REGION
Tropical Americas, naturalized in Florida.
TYPE
Perennial
SOIL TYPE
Lantana camara 'New Gold' is highly adaptable, thriving in average, well-drained soils and is not particular about the specific soil type, as long as it does not remain soggy. The plant performs well in various soil compositions including sand, clay, loam, and rocky soils, and it tolerates a wide range of pH levels from acidic to alkaline (approximately 5.5 to 8.5). The most crucial soil requirement is good drainage, which helps prevent root rot, as the plant is exceptionally drought-tolerant once established. Amending heavy clay soils with compost or coarse sand can improve drainage.
MAINTENACE TIPS
'New Gold' lantana is remarkably low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, requiring infrequent, deep watering only during prolonged dry periods. During its first growing season, regular watering is crucial to help develop a strong, deep root system. Avoid over-fertilizing, as this can reduce the number of blooms; a single application of a slow-release, balanced granular fertilizer in the spring is usually sufficient. The plant is generally resistant to pests and diseases, though adequate air circulation helps prevent issues like whiteflies and powdery mildew.
ELEVATION
1 to 2 ft
MATURE WIDTH
LEAF SHAPE
The leaves of the Lantana camara 'New Gold' cultivar are a rich, medium to dark green and are classified as simple and ovate (egg-shaped). They are arranged oppositely along the stem and feature a distinctive rugose (rough and wrinkled), almost sandpaper-like texture. The leaf margins are finely toothed or serrated, and when crushed, the foliage emits a pungent, aromatic fragrance. The leaves typically grow to be 2-4 inches long and remain evergreen in frost-free climates.
FLOWER COLOR
Yellow
FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS
Lantana 'New Gold' (often listed as Lantana x 'New Gold' due to its hybrid origin, a cross between Lantana camara and Lantana montevidensis) is a low-mounding, spreading, and nearly sterile perennial shrub (often grown as an annual in cooler climates) known for its abundant, vibrant golden-yellow flowers. The small, tubular flowers are arranged in dense terminal clusters that bloom continuously from spring to frost. A key characteristic is its effective sterility, as it rarely produces seeds or the toxic berries typical of other Lantana camara varieties, which channels more energy into flowering and prevents the plant from becoming invasive in the landscape. This heat-loving, drought-tolerant cultivar features aromatic, dark green foliage and is a favorite for attracting butterflies and other pollinators in sunny garden beds and containers.
FRUIT/SEED
The Lantana camara 'New Gold' cultivar is a sterile hybrid (specifically, a triploid) that is prized in ornamental landscaping precisely because it rarely produces fruit or viable seeds. Unlike other Lantana camara varieties which produce small, berry-like, dark purple to black drupes containing one or two seeds when ripe, 'New Gold' diverts the energy typically used for reproduction into continuous flowering. The absence of significant fruit production means the plant is self-cleaning and non-invasive, making it a safer option around pets or children who might be tempted by the toxic green berries found on fertile types.
SUN EXPOSURE
Full Sun, Partial Shade
POLLINATORS
The cultivar Lantana camara 'New Gold' is a significant attractor for a variety of pollinators and provides some benefits for local wildlife. Its abundant golden-yellow flowers, which bloom from spring through fall, serve as a rich nectar source for numerous insects and birds. Specific pollinators frequently observed visiting the plant include bees, such as bumble bees and native bees, and a wide array of butterflies, including swallowtails, cloudless sulphurs, skippers, hairstreaks, and monarchs. Additionally, the plant's tubular flowers are perfectly structured to attract hummingbirds. While the plant's berries are toxic to livestock and humans, they are a food source for birds, which also use the dense foliage for cover. The plant is also notably resistant to deer and rabbits, which helps ensure its flowers remain available for pollinators.
PRUNING TIPS
Pruning is important for maintaining the plant's shape and encouraging continuous blooming. In areas where the plant is a perennial (USDA Zones 8-11), a hard prune in early spring (around March) is recommended, cutting the plant back to about 6 to 12 inches from ground level to remove old, woody growth. Throughout the growing season, a light shearing of the stem tips can promote a bushier form and stimulate new flushes of flowers. The 'New Gold' cultivar is sterile and self-cleaning, so deadheading spent blooms is not strictly necessary to prevent seed formation but can be done for a tidier appearance.
