A detailed guide to the latest cultivation methods for Lantana camara, teaching you step by step how to grow it well

Lantana camara, also known as Shandadan, Ruyi grass, colorful flower, Wuleidan, etc., is an evergreen shrub plant of the genus Lantana in the Verbenaceae family. Its flowering period is generally from mid-to-late April to around mid-February of the following year, but due to the influence of climate and temperature, it can be seen flowering almost all year round, and its ornamental value is extremely high. Now let us take a look at the cultivation methods for Lantana camara!

The Cultivation Value of Lantana camara

1. Ornamental: Lantana camara has green foliage and abundant flowers, remaining colorful all year round, with a long viewing period and beautiful flower colors including red, orange, yellow, pink, white, etc. Some flowers are yellow or pink when they first open, gradually turning orange-yellow or orange-red, and finally red. The flowers are small and unique, appearing very beautiful, and have a certain ornamental value.

2. Bonsai: The young branches of Lantana camara are soft and suitable for making many forms of bonsai. They can be processed into different forms of bonsai such as single-trunk style, double-trunk style, waterside style, and slanting-trunk style, and are also very suitable for home decoration. Because the leaves are relatively large, the crown is often made into an unrestrained natural shape, or can be deliberately shaped into round slices.

Propagation Methods of Lantana camara

1. Sowing: Sowing can be done in late autumn in pots under high humidity and warm conditions, or in spring. In South China, seedlings can be used to plant flower beds, and flowers can be seen by September of that year. After the fruit ripens, pick it and pile it to compost, soak it in water and rub off the flesh to obtain seeds. Seeds should not be allowed to lose water; they can be collected and sown immediately in autumn, or stored mixed with sand and sown in spring. After sowing, the temperature during the germination stage should be kept above 20C. The germination rate is about 60%, and seedlings sown in the south can bloom in autumn of the same year.

2. Cuttings: Cuttings are mostly carried out in May. Take one-year-old branches as cuttings, with every two nodes as one section. Keep the 2 leaves on the upper node and cut them in half, and insert the lower node into plain sandy soil or a substrate mixed evenly with half plain sandy soil and half fully decomposed humus soil. After inserting, shade them, cover with film to retain moisture and heat, and keep the cutting bed moist and the air humidity at 80-90%. Roots can develop in about 1 month, and new shoots will sprout.

3. Layering: Lantana camara plants have extremely many branches and can take root when touching soil, so flexible branches are wounded and pressed into the soil. After the root system grows, they are cut from the parent plant and divided.

Cultivation Methods of Lantana camara

1. Fertilizer and water: For potted plants, loose and fertile sandy loam is suitable, but the requirements are not strict. During the growing period, apply decomposed liquid fertilizer once every 10 days. At the same time, combined with watering, spray 3% urea twice every 10 days, which can make the leaves thicker and greener. When planting, apply organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer. Water initially to promote growth. Once the plant survives and grows vigorously, reduce watering. In open-field cultivation, bury trailing branches into the soil, and they can gradually spread into a large clump.

2. Sunlight: Lantana camara prefers a sunny and well-lit environment. During the growing season, it can be placed outdoors in a sunny place for care. Even in midsummer, shading is not necessary, but good ventilation is required. If light is insufficient, the plant will grow leggy, with thin and long stems and branches, and few flowers, seriously affecting its ornamental value.

3. Pruning: Lantana camara grows relatively quickly. During cultivation, branches and leaves affecting the shape should be removed in time to maintain the beauty of the tree form. After each flowering, cut overly long young branches shorter. In late autumn and early winter, before moving indoors, perform a heavy pruning on the plant, appropriately shortening all branches grown in the current year. In winter, move it indoors to a sunny place. If a room temperature above 15°C can be maintained, the plant can grow and bloom normally, and should be watered, fertilized, and pruned appropriately. If such a high temperature cannot be maintained, reduce watering, stop fertilizing, and let the plant go dormant; it can overwinter safely above 8°C. Repot once every spring, and prune and reshape the plant again, cutting off dead branches, weak branches, and other branches affecting the tree shape.

Pest and Disease Control of Lantana camara

1. Gray mold

[Symptoms] The pathogen first invades from the tip of the petals. After onset, the diseased areas are water-soaked, soft, faded, and lose their luster. Eventually the petals become brown and rot, and the flowers fall off. Under humid conditions, a gray mold layer forms on the surface of the diseased areas.

[Transmission route] The pathogen overwinters as sclerotia or mycelium on diseased plant residues. The following spring it produces spores, which spread through wind and rain and cause infection. Low temperature and high humidity, along with poor ventilation, favor the development of the disease. This disease occurs more often in greenhouses.

[Control methods] Pay attention to ventilation and reduce humidity, which can lessen the occurrence of the disease. Remove diseased flowers in time and burn them in a concentrated manner or bury them deeply in soil to reduce the source of disease. In the early stage of the disease, spray 1:200 Bordeaux mixture, or 50% procymidone wettable powder 2000 times solution, or 50% iprodione wettable powder 1500 times solution, once every two weeks. The number of sprays depends on the disease situation.

2. Leaf-killing nematode

[Symptoms] After the leaves are invaded by nematodes, the leaf color becomes lighter and there are light brown spots, which later gradually deepen to almost black. As the diseased spots expand, they become angular spots due to the restriction of the main and lateral veins. In severe cases, the entire leaf dies and curls, hanging down along the stem. Most nematodes are in slightly discolored areas; on leaves that have turned dark brown or black, there are only a few nematodes.

[Transmission route] Leaf-killing nematodes overwinter in the root area and surrounding soil, diseased plant residues, and wild hosts. Even on extremely small residual leaves, they can survive in soil for 6-7 months. The entire development process of the leaf-killing nematode is completed within the invaded tissue. When conditions are suitable (22-25°C, sufficient humidity), it takes only 14 days from egg to female adult laying eggs. It is generally transmitted through water droplets, irrigation water, and contact between diseased and healthy leaves, while long-distance spread depends on human movement of diseased leaves, flowers, stems, cuttings, and soil, etc. It invades through stomata on leaves.

[Control methods] Strengthen quarantine to prevent leaf nematodes and their propagation materials from entering disease-free areas. For horticultural control, do not use diseased soil or soil with much grass for potted plants. Improve watering methods; it is best not to water by sprinkling, and keep leaf surfaces as dry as possible. When placing potted flowers, leave appropriate gaps so that leaves do not touch each other. For chemical control, use 15% aldicarb granules, 5-6 grams per square meter of potting soil, or 2-3 grams for a pot about 25 cm in diameter, applied deep into the soil. Or use 3% carbofuran, 3-5 grams per pot, applied deep into the soil. During the damage period, 50% fenitrothion emulsion, 50% fenamiphos, and 50% carbaryl wettable powder 1000 times solution can also be sprayed on leaf surfaces.

Note: The editor has introduced the cultivation methods of Lantana camara here. When cultivating Lantana camara, everyone should note that its flowers and leaves are toxic, and accidental ingestion can cause diarrhea and fever. However, as long as we understand their living habits and take certain measures, they will not harm health and will only be beneficial to the human body.