Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Saturday - December 04, 2010

From: Katy, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pruning, Shrubs
Title: Care for lantana in Katy TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Hello. I live in Katy TX and have a number of Lantana shrubs. How and when should they be cut back?

ANSWER:

From The Georgia Gardener, here is an article on pruning lantana. Since you are in Katy, you should probably not be worried about your plants freezing back and dying; in fact, they should be semi-evergreen with long periods of bloom. However, we always liked to prune them down to about 6 inches from the ground when they got scraggly in mid-winter. They will come up from the roots, so those stalks left standing mark your place so you won't accidentally pull up the first green sprouts, thinking they are weeds. During the summer, you may find it advisable to prune them back lightly if they try to take over your garden and get too big.

From our Native Plant Image Gallery:


Lantana urticoides


Lantana urticoides


Lantana urticoides


Lantana urticoides

 

 

More Shrubs Questions

Screening Plants for Cape Cod
June 17, 2014 - I need to plant some fairly high growing leafy plants/bushes/trees for privacy and as a sound barrier in (the remains of) a pine forest in Cape Cod, MA. The pines grow tall and skinny so that we can s...
view the full question and answer

Potted Plumbago, struggling with the heat, in Spring Texas
June 29, 2011 - Why do some of the leaves of my plumbagos that are grown in large, well-draining planters turn brown? The brown starts on the tips, then extends to the whole leaf. They get several hours of west aft...
view the full question and answer

Care for California lilacs from Portland OR
January 16, 2014 - Hi There, We live in the Portland Oregon area, so temps are moderate and winters are wet. We have several California Lilacs that are about 7ft in height and have created the perfect screen. Love th...
view the full question and answer

Death of Tecoma stans after heavy rain
July 21, 2008 - I had two esperanza plants. They have been planted for about four months, this spring. They were blooming and growing. We had six inches of rain in five days and they began to wilt - and then they d...
view the full question and answer

Need evergreen, drought tolerant shrubs to plant next to driveway along property line in Austin, TX.
February 23, 2011 - Just moved to Austin, TX. What evergreen, drought tolerant shrubs could I plant by driveway, full sun, next to neighbors lawn. I don't want to mow, space is 3.5 ft. wide by 15ft. long. I thought ab...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.