How you answer this question depends on where you live. If you live in southern Florida or Hawaii, the answer is definitely no. Lantana has naturalized in these areas and forced out native flora. Elsewhere winter cold is a determining factor. The coldest zone where a Lantana camara will over-winter is probably 7b. If you live in a colder zone you will have to treat lantana as an annual.

Another factor that must be considered before you plant lantana in your yard is its toxicity. All parts of Lantana camara and its cultivars are poisonous. They pose a danger to both children and livestock. It is particularly important not to allow livestock access to lantana clippings or to plant it within their reach. On the plus side deer, rabbits, gophers, and other varmints generally avoid eating lantana.

Despite these concerns a lot of people plant lantana in their yards. Lantanas are tough drought-resistant plants that bloom continuously during warm weather. They come in many colors and can be either upright shrubs or spreading forms.

Because Lantana camara is tropical in origin (it is native to South America) most cultivars are frost tender. They are often damaged by temperatures in the upper 20’s F. There is good news however—we now have hardy lantanas available. In addition to the old favorite ‘Miss Huff’ we have ‘Star Landing, ‘Ham ‘n Eggs’ and camara x. ‘New Gold’. The first three will survive into single digits and ‘New Gold’ into the mid-teens. Now if you live in zone 7b or warmer, you should be able to plant lantanas that are truly perennial. Perhaps you should brighten up your yard with some hardy lantanas.