Lantana is a treasured addition to the spring and summer garden for its spreading habit and bright, colorful blossoms that drive butterflies mad. It is usually considered a tender perennial, being reliably hardy only in parts of eastern North Carolina and some of the Piedmont region. But a couple of new varieties have demonstrated excellent cold hardiness in Zones 7-11. Some established plants have survived temperatures down to 0 degrees F. ‘Chapel Hill Yellow’ has medium-yellow blooms, spreads 2 to 3 feet and stands about 16 inches tall. ‘Chapel Hill Gold’ has similar growth but sports yellow-gold flowers. The breeders donate part of the royalties from the sale of these plants to the Sweet Melissa Transplant Fund for Lung Transplant Patients and their families at UNC-Chapel Hill (sweetmelissafund.org). Lantanas bloom freely from spring to frost and tolerate dry conditions.
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