What Is the Difference Between Lantana & Verbena?

Lantana

• Lantana is a shrubby plant with rough-surfaced, toothy-edged leaves and colorful flowers that cluster in 2-inch-wide flower heads; in some cultivars, the flower heads contain flowers of multiple colors in the same cluster. Common lantana (Lantana camara) is a native of the tropics; it is most often grown as an annual in the United States, but it is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 11. It grows quickly and in favorable conditions may form bushy mounds up to 6 feet high and 8 feet wide. Some cultivars are notable for their relatively small size. "Patriot Cowboy," for example, is only about a foot tall. Weeping lantana (Lantana montevidensis) has a trailing habit rather than the upright habit of common lantana, and is hardy in USDA zones 8b and above.

Verbena

• Plants in the genus Verbena are diverse in their growth habits, but they all produce an abundance of colorful blooms over a long period of time, a trait that makes them a common feature in borders and beds. Although the color of verbena flowers varies between species and cultivars, the plants do not produce multicolored flower heads like lantana. Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) is a perennial that blooms on upright stems that can reach 6 feet in height; trailing verbena (Verbena canadensis), by contrast, stays low to the ground, with cultivars such as "Homestead Purple" remaining around a foot tall. Perennial verbenas are hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10, but they are commonly grown as annuals in colder areas.

Culture

• Both lantana and verbena are tolerant of heat and do best in full sun; they can grow in a range of soil types, but both plants need well-drained soil. In general, lantana is a tougher plant that demands little from the gardener; verbena is a bit more particular in its needs. Lantana is extremely drought tolerant and may, in fact, not bloom well if it gets too much water. Verbena is also drought tolerant once it's established, but it will not bloom profusely if it is underwatered. Verbena benefits from a twice-a-season application of a 16-4-8 fertilizer; fertilizing lantana may inhibit its blooms.

Problems

• Lantana presents some problems that verbena doesn't. The coarse leaves of lantana emit an odor when they're crushed that some people find offensive, and the plant's leaves and berries are toxic. In warm climates, lantana is able to naturalize and spread quickly, and its invasiveness is a problem in states such as Texas, Florida and Hawaii. Verbena is not toxic, invasive or odiferous.