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sonia_rj

Growing Lantana from seed? (Newbie here)

Sonia.RJ
9 years ago

How do I grow Lantanas from seeds? I did some research and it says you're supposed to soak the black berries in warm water for 24 hours (which I did) and cover it with soil in temperatures between 22 and 26 celsius but since I'm in Sri Lanka, temperatures are currently from 29 to 32 C and won't go down to 26 until October or November. So would it be pointless putting the seeds under a small layer of soil?

Comments (8)

  • Sonia.RJ
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I haven't tried cuttings but I'd like to use seeds so that I could get a different colours of the flower because mine is just yellow. Should I use seed starting soil pellets? Because 5 of the seeds I have planted haven't sprouted since

  • art33
    9 years ago

    Hi Sonia,

    First of all, Lantana seeds are very hard and practically impervious to moisture. I have always found it hard to germinate Lantana seeds. The trick is to scarify the seeds by nicking them deeply or even slightly cracking the seed coat. I had my first success after cracking a few seeds by squeezing them in a vise :-) The seeds are also rather slow to germinate, usually between one and two months.

    Hope this helps,

    Art

  • dbarron
    9 years ago

    I have never found a lantana here of the ones that I grow that did not go through a winter before germinating...probably a result of that impervious to moisture seed coat referenced above.

  • Sonia.RJ
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the tip Art, I'll try that next time! :)

  • joyfulflowers
    9 years ago

    Hi Sonia

    I was thinking about growing Lantana in my garden until I read up on it. It's extremely invasive and one plant can produce something like 1200 seeds. There are other negative things about it which you should read up on before deciding to plant it in your garden. Just giving a heads up on it.

  • poisondartfrog
    9 years ago

    I am zone 7a and although Lantana can be invasive in Florida, Texas and other gulf coast states and can be perennial as far North as zone 8, it is not here-wish it were more persistent. I usually have a volunteer or two, but nothing like an invasion unless you count the butterflies that dance in attendance all summer.
    I have never had difficulty starting the seeds on a heat mat in February for summer bloom, but if you had only one variety with yellow blooms and no others to pollinate you will probably not get the rainbow of colors you seek. My experience has been that saved seeds yield plants that bloom in colors very similar to the plants you collected them from, even the hybrids. Yellow hybrid's seeds tend to produce plants that bloom in shades of yellow, often with white. The chief difference in the seed grown plants from the parents seems to be in habit. They are often more rangy and taller than the hybrid plant they are derived from. Germination can be erratic and just when you think all of the seeds that are going to germinate have, another one or two will surprise you.
    If you have one of the species other than camara then you will almost certainly have plants that are the same color flowers you started with. Lantana. horrida will be yellow and orange, Lantana montevidensis will be lavender, etc.

  • cold_weather_is_evil
    9 years ago

    Does the 26 degree soil have to be in the ground? Pots? Cups?