Lantana camara 'Dallas Red'

Dallas Red Lantana

1/0

What is Dallas Red Lantana?

Dallas Red Lantana (Lantana camara 'Dallas Red') is a heat-loving perennial flowering shrub native to tropical regions of South America. Landscape designers and homeowners choose Dallas Red Lantana for its continuous multi-colored blooms from summer to frost, exceptional heat and drought tolerance, and powerful ability to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. This compact selection thrives as a perennial in USDA zones 9-11 and performs beautifully as a colorful annual in cooler zones, making it versatile for water-wise landscapes and pollinator gardens nationwide.

How Big Does Dallas Red Lantana Grow?

Dallas Red Lantana forms a compact mounding shrub reaching 18-24 inches tall and 18-30 inches wide at maturity. The dense, spreading growth habit features coarse, deep green leaves with slightly toothed edges that create textural interest in the landscape. With moderate growth rate, plants quickly establish and fill in landscape beds within one season, forming dense masses of colorful blooms. The compact size makes Dallas Red ideal for small gardens, container plantings, border edgings, mass plantings, and spaces where larger shrubs would overwhelm the design.

What Do Dallas Red Lantana Flowers Look Like?

Dallas Red Lantana produces spectacular clusters of multi-colored blooms that resemble miniature sunsets. Each rounded flower cluster (called an umbel) features fiery red florets in the center that gracefully transition to orange and yellow hues toward the edges, creating a stunning tri-color effect. The continuous bloom display lasts from early summer through the first frost, providing months of reliable color. Individual flower clusters measure 1-2 inches across and appear profusely across the plant, creating an explosion of warm tropical colors that intensify in full sun.

Where Should You Plant Dallas Red Lantana?

Plant Dallas Red Lantana in full sun locations receiving 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for maximum flowering and compact growth. Full sun exposure fuels the most vibrant bloom colors and densest plant habit. Well-draining soil is absolutely essential - avoid heavy clay or areas with standing water that cause root rot. Dallas Red excels in xeriscaped gardens, water-wise landscapes, pollinator gardens, butterfly gardens, container plantings and large pots, border edgings along walkways, mass plantings for color impact, parking lot islands, roadside plantings, and low-maintenance commercial landscapes throughout zones 9-11 as perennials, or zones 4-8 as seasonal annuals.

How Much Water Does Dallas Red Lantana Need?

Once established (typically 4-6 weeks), Dallas Red Lantana displays impressive drought tolerance and survives on minimal supplemental irrigation. During establishment, water deeply 2-3 times weekly. Mature plants thrive with occasional deep watering every 10-14 days during extended dry periods to maintain vibrant flowering. In cooler zones grown as annuals, provide regular moisture during active growth for best performance. Avoid overwatering which can lead to root rot, especially during rainy periods. Dallas Red performs exceptionally well in hot, dry conditions where many flowering plants struggle, making it perfect for low-water sustainable landscapes.

How Do You Maintain and Prune Dallas Red Lantana?

Dallas Red Lantana is remarkably low-maintenance and easy to care for. Deadheading spent flower clusters encourages continuous blooming and keeps plants tidy, though plants flower profusely without deadheading. In zones 9-11, prune back by one-third in late winter or early spring to refresh plants and promote compact, bushy growth. Remove any frost-damaged stems in spring. In cooler zones used as annuals, no pruning is necessary - simply pull plants after frost kills them back. Light fertilization monthly during active growth with balanced fertilizer supports abundant flowering. Dallas Red rarely experiences pest or disease issues.

Does Dallas Red Lantana Attract Pollinators?

Dallas Red Lantana is an exceptional pollinator magnet and one of the best plants for attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The nectar-rich flowers draw constant pollinator activity throughout the extended bloom season. Hummingbirds visit frequently, attracted by the tubular red florets. Butterflies, including swallowtails, monarchs, painted ladies, and Gulf fritillaries, flutter among the blooms continuously. Native bees and honeybees diligently collect pollen and nectar. The dense foliage provides shelter for beneficial insects and small wildlife, creating a vibrant ecosystem that supports garden biodiversity and ecological balance.

How Do You Use Dallas Red Lantana in Landscape Design?

Landscape architects and designers specify Dallas Red Lantana for versatile applications: colorful border edgings along walkways and paths, mass plantings for dramatic seasonal color, container gardens for patios and entryways, mixed perennial borders with other heat-loving plants, xeriscaped and water-wise landscape installations, pollinator and butterfly garden essentials, parking lot islands and commercial properties, groundcover-style plantings on slopes, accent plants in contemporary and traditional designs, and annual color beds in cooler climates. The compact mounding habit and continuous bloom make it reliable for high-visibility areas requiring extended color with minimal maintenance.

Is Dallas Red Lantana Toxic to Pets?

Important safety note: All parts of Lantana plants are toxic if ingested by humans and pets, including dogs, cats, and livestock. The berries that form after flowering are particularly toxic. Symptoms of ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and liver damage in severe cases. Plant Dallas Red Lantana away from areas where children and pets play. Despite toxicity concerns, the plant is safe to handle and touch during normal garden maintenance. The toxicity actually provides natural deer and rabbit resistance, making Lantana useful in areas with wildlife browsing pressure.

Is Dallas Red Lantana Invasive?

Lantana camara species can be invasive in warm climates, particularly in zones 10-11, Hawaii, and other tropical regions where it escapes cultivation and spreads into natural areas. Dallas Red is considered less invasive than wild-type species but can still self-seed. Check local regulations and invasive plant lists before planting in zones 10-11, Florida, Texas, California, and Hawaii. In zones 4-9 where plants are killed by winter freezes, Dallas Red poses no invasive risk. Consider sterile cultivars or remove seed berries to prevent spread. Many regions allow Lantana with responsible management and deadheading practices.

Why Choose Dallas Red Lantana for Your Project?

Dallas Red Lantana delivers exceptional performance as a colorful, pollinator-friendly plant for hot, dry climates and summer gardens. This reliable selection combines continuous multi-colored blooms from summer to frost, exceptional drought tolerance once established, powerful hummingbird and butterfly attraction, compact growth suitable for small spaces, extreme heat tolerance, low maintenance requirements, versatility as perennial or annual, and deer resistance.

For landscape professionals seeking a sustainable, low-water plant that provides months of reliable color and critical pollinator habitat in challenging hot climates, Dallas Red Lantana represents a smart specification choice for residential, commercial, and municipal projects in appropriate zones with proper management.

FAMILY

The Lantana camara 'Dallas Red' exhibits a vigorous, mounding growth habit, forming a dense, rounded shrub. This woody perennial typically reaches a mature height of 2 to 4 feet with a similar spread, filling in garden spaces with dark green foliage and continuous clusters of fiery red, orange, and yellow flowers from spring until frost. It grows at a fast rate and is well-suited for use in mass plantings, borders, and containers due to its compact and robust nature.

MATURE HEIGHT

3 to 5 ft

GROWTH HABIT

Upright shrub, mounding and dense

WATER REQUIREMENT

Moderate Water

HARDY TO

20°F

NATIVE REGION

Tropical Americas, naturalized in Florida.

TYPE

Perennial

SOIL TYPE

For optimal growth, Lantana camara 'Dallas Red' performs best in well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH range, ideally between 6.0 and 6.5. The plant is highly adaptable and will grow in a variety of soil types, including sand, loam, clay (amended), and silt, provided they do not hold standing water, which can lead to root rot. The key requirement is good drainage; amending heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost or perlite can improve performance and ensure the roots do not sit in excess moisture.

MAINTENACE TIPS

Once established, 'Dallas Red' lantana is remarkably low-maintenance and highly drought-tolerant, requiring infrequent, deep watering only when the top few inches of soil are dry. Avoid overhead watering to reduce the risk of powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. Fertilization is generally not necessary in garden beds, as too much fertilizer can inhibit blooming. A single application of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring is sufficient if desired; container plants can be fed monthly at half-strength. The plant is deer-resistant and generally free of major pests when grown in proper conditions.

ELEVATION

to 4600 feet

2 to 4 ft

MATURE WIDTH

LEAF SHAPE

The leaves of the Lantana camara 'Dallas Red' are a dark green, simple leaf type with an opposite arrangement along the stem. The leaf blades are ovate (egg-shaped) or broadly lance-shaped with a pointed tip and a rounded to broadly cuneate base. They feature a distinct serrated or crenate (bluntly toothed) margin. The texture of the leaves is notable for being rough and wrinkled (rugose), with a sandpaper feel due to a covering of stiff, coarse hairs, particularly on the upper surface. The venation is a prominent, impressed reticulate pattern (net-veined). When crushed or bruised, the foliage releases a strong, distinctive pungent aroma. In suitable warm climates (USDA zones 9-11), the leaves are evergreen.

FLOWER COLOR

Orange, Red

FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS

The Lantana camara 'Dallas Red' produces small, tubular flowers that are grouped together in dense, rounded clusters, technically known as cymes, at the ends of its branches. Each individual flower has five lobes and displays a striking color transformation as it matures. The blooms typically open as yellow or orange in the center and then gradually change to a deep, fiery red on the outer edges, resulting in a multi-colored display within a single cluster. This flowering characteristic ensures continuous visual appeal from late spring until the first frost, or nearly year-round in frost-free, tropical climates. The vibrant, multi-hued flowers are highly effective at attracting pollinators, serving as a significant nectar source for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The flowers themselves do not have a strong fragrance, unlike the rough-textured, dark green leaves which emit a pungent aroma when crushed

FRUIT/SEED

The fruit of the Lantana camara 'Dallas Red' is a small, fleshy drupe. It is initially glossy green and spherical, about 5-8 mm in diameter, but changes color as it matures, eventually ripening to a dark purple, blue, or black color. Each fruit typically contains a single, hard, light brown, ovoid (egg-shaped) seed. The seeds of the 'Dallas Red' lantana have a hard coat, which contributes to their slow and often irregular germination, typically taking 6 to 8 weeks. For successful propagation from seed, a soaking period in warm water is recommended to soften the seed coat. The seeds are primarily dispersed in nature by birds and other animals that consume the ripe berries. Both the leaves and the unripe green berries are considered toxic to humans and pets, so caution should be exercised.

SUN EXPOSURE

Full Sun, Partial Shade

POLLINATORS

The 'Dallas Red' lantana is highly valued in gardens for its exceptional ability to attract a wide array of pollinators and provide habitat and food for wildlife. Its vibrant, continuous blooms make it a magnet for numerous species. It should be noted that while the flowers are beneficial, all parts of the plant, especially the unripe berries, are toxic to livestock, pets, and humans if ingested.

PRUNING TIPS

Pruning is minimal but beneficial for maintaining shape and encouraging continuous flowering. In early spring, perform a hard prune by cutting the stems back to about six to twelve inches from ground level to remove old, woody growth and promote vigorous new shoots. Throughout the growing season, you can lightly shear the tips of the branches to encourage bushier growth and a new flush of blooms. Removing the developing black berries (deadheading) also directs the plant's energy into producing more flowers, which is especially important for varieties that are considered invasive in some regions.