Trailing Lantana Camara ‘Luscious Grape’

Grape Goodness for Pollinators

Lantana camara ‘luscious grape’, trailing lantana

'Luscious Grape' Lantana Camara is a trailing lantana plant that works well as a container spiller or in raised beds. It attracts butterflies and other beneficial pollinators right to your garden doorstep.

Plant Specs:

  • Perennial flower for USDA hardiness zones 9a-11 (lows to -6.7 °C or 20 °F)
  • Annual plant for colder regions
  • Full sun to part shade
  • Height: 10 to 14 in
  • Spacing: 2 to 3 ft
  • Trails up to 3 ft
  • Flowers: purple with white and yellow centers
  • Blooms all season until first frost

Plant Propagation:

  • Herbaceous stem cuttings
'Luscious Grape' lantana blooms are a popular nectar source for swallowtail butterflies and other precious pollinators. This trailing lantana works well as a container spiller or in raised beds.

Pros:

  • Long bloom period
  • Small serrated leaves a striking contrast with bright purple blooms
  • Trailing flowers look stunning cascading from raised beds or pots
  • No serious pest issues
  • In the running for prettiest purple garden flower

Cons:

  • Must be regularly deadheaded- blooms prolifically with pruning!
  • Too short to be fully appreciated in some areas of the garden
  • Lantana is a potentially poisonous plant to pets and small children.

An option to grow this safely would be to put it in a hanging pot.

Trailing Lantana Growing Tips:

'Luscious Grape' Lantana has prolific purple blooms that will bring home the butterflies

Pollinator Plus:

This nectar plant also attracts bumblebees, eastern tiger swallowtails, gulf fritillaries, skippers, and more…(please report what butterflies/pollinators this has attracted to your garden in a comment below.)

There are not many pollinator reports on this variety yet. Many websites, books, and nurseries suggest planting lantana, which insinuates all lantana varieties contain the same nectar content and will be equally attractive to all butterflies.

We had tiger swallowtails all over our grape lantana last season, but they didn’t touch our ‘bandana’ lantana camara plants in the next raised bed over.

Trailing Luscious Grape Lantana has been an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail favorite in our butterfly garden. Some tiger females come in dark form to mimic the poisonous pipevine swallowtail. More butterfly on grape lantana photos...
Dark Form Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Resources:

1. Find Trailing Grape Lantana Here

2. Luscious Grape Lantana Plants and Seeds for Sale

3. Find More Lantana Camara varieties on our Butterfly Flowers Page


Please post below if you have any questions or comments about growing trailing lantana camara in your garden:

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3 Comments

  1. In Texas, we do get some freezing days. My Lantana is in a hanging planter, drips water out quickly. What should our winter plans be to save this planter?? Do they need sun in winter? Maybe putting in garage will not be good. Other Lantana is in ground and comes back each year. Do I have to bring in my 5 inch new Milkweed cutting finally growing in the garden. Have netting over it to keep deer out. Thanks, bobbie

    Reply

    1. Hi Bobbie, if milkweed is perennial to your region, I would leave it outside so it can go through its natural growth cycle. For gardening info specific to your region check out some of the resources here: butterfly gardening groups

      Reply

  2. I had the same experience with Bandana Lantana as well as some of the hybrid Echinaceas…. no butterfly interest

    Reply

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