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

Sunday - August 22, 2010

From: Emerald Isle, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives, Transplants
Title: Transplanting non-native yellow lantana in Emerald Isle, NC
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

We live in Emerald Isle, NC. Can we transplant yellow lantana? It is not really a perennial but appears to be one at the coast. If so, when do you transplant?

ANSWER:

There are several members of the Lantana genus native to North America, within the expertise of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The only one of those that we would consider an attractive landscape plant is Lantana urticoides (West Indian shrubverbena); it is not yellow but multi-colored. 

We are fairly sure that your lantana is Lantana camara, a tropical not native to North America. It has been hybridized so much that there is no way we could know exactly how it should be treated. From Monrovia Nurseries, we found a page on 'Chapel Hill Yellow Lantana.'  Note that it mentions that it is a cross between Lantana camara 'Miss Huff' and 'New Gold,' so you will understand why we don't mess with hybrids.

However, we can tell you that if your lantanas are far enough south to perennialize, rather than perform as annuals, there is certainly no reason why you should not be able to transplant them. Wait until late Fall, when the leaves are all browning anyway, or have even fallen off. Then, cut the plant back to about 6" above the ground, and leave it until early Spring. It can then be dug up and moved into a prepared hole. It is a full sun plant. 

From our Native Plant Image Gallery:


Lantana urticoides

Lantana urticoides

 

 

More Transplants Questions

Transplant shock
July 27, 2006 - Today I dug up a new natchez variety crape myrtle that had only been planted about 3 months ago. It is fairly young. It was very difficult to dig up as it's root were pretty settled in the spot it ...
view the full question and answer

Best time to plant non-native Crape Myrtle in Fulshear TX
July 01, 2010 - When are the best times to plant Crape Myrtles? My husband and I have just moved to Fulshear, TX (just slightly west of Houston) and being summer, I didn't think this was the best planting period. ...
view the full question and answer

Transplant shock in Achillea millefolium
May 28, 2007 - I had a clump of yarrow in my garden and was worried that it would become very aggressive to the other plants. I decided to transplant it into large clay pots to control it. Immediately after the tran...
view the full question and answer

Yellowing leaves on non-native weeping birch in Brick NJ
August 16, 2009 - I have a young weeping birch-planted in spring-we water regularly, it gets good sun-and rain has been perfect--the leaves get yellow--and now they are a lot! Whats the matter? I love my little tree.I ...
view the full question and answer

Propagating yaupons (Ilex vomitoria)
November 30, 2007 - Dear Mr. Smarty, I enjoy your weekly tips printed in the Austin Statesman. We live in the Texas hill country where the soil is essentially rock. One of the nice benefits of our yard and the are...
view the full question and answer

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