Lantana (Lantana camara 'Ballucor' LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE)
Dwarf Lantana camara 'Ballucor' LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE thrives in full sun, offering low maintenance and showy yellow/orange blooms from May to frost.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE is a fantastic choice for gardeners seeking non-stop color with minimal fuss. This floriferous, dwarf selection of Lantana provides a dense, bushy habit perfect for filling seasonal gaps in the landscape or adorning pots. Its standout feature is the vibrant mix of yellow and orange flowers clustered together, attracting numerous pollinators throughout the growing season.
This particular cultivar, often sold as LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE, maintains a compact size, typically reaching only about one foot tall and wide, making it highly versatile. While botanically a broadleaf evergreen, its success in many climates often relies on treating this Lantana as a reliable annual bedding plant, providing abundant texture and bloom until the first hard frost spells the end of its seasonal run.
The genus Lantana is famous for its ability to flourish in hot, sunny conditions where many other flowering plants struggle. Grow Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE for reliable performance, easy care, and brilliant, multi-hued flower displays that benefit local wildlife.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Verbenaceae
- Plant Type: Broadleaf evergreen
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 10-11
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 0.75-1 ft
- Spread: 0.75-1 ft
- Bloom Time: May to frost
- Bloom Description: Yellow and orange
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
For best results, plant Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE after all danger of frost has passed, typically in late spring once conditions are consistently warm. These plants excel in full sun exposure and require well-drained soils, thriving even when the soil quality is average or poor. If you are utilizing this Lantana as an annual bedding plant, ensure adequate spacing to allow for its bushy growth habit.
Care for this dwarf Lantana variety is straightforward. It requires medium water needs; water thoroughly when the top inch of soil feels dry, but avoid consistently soggy conditions which impede root health. Due to its low maintenance rating, excess fertilizer is generally unnecessary. Deadheading spent flower clusters is not strictly required, as the plant readily produces new blooms through summer and into the fall.
Regarding overwintering, top growth is winter hardy only to USDA Zones 10–11, with roots surviving down to Zone 9. Gardeners in cooler zones often choose to replace the plants annually, as purchasing new bedding plants each spring is often simpler than overwintering. If you wish to save your Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE, container plants can be brought indoors, kept in a bright location, and cool temperatures ranging from 40–49°F. Cuttings taken during the summer can also ensure you preserve your favorite selections.
Landscape Uses
The compact nature of Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE makes it exceptionally useful across various landscape applications. It performs brilliantly as a long-blooming annual bedding plant, providing a low border along walkways or mass plantings in sunny beds where vibrant color is paramount. Its one-foot height ensures it won’t obscure shorter perennials planted in front.
This Lantana is also a superstar in containers, decorative urns, and window boxes. The globe-shaped clusters of yellow and orange flowers provide continuous visual interest throughout the season. These containers can be brought indoors to shelter the plant during winter dormancy if you reside outside of Zones 10-11, offering a chance to train potted specimens into charming standards.
For vibrant, season-long color that handles heat and sun exposure exceptionally well, incorporate this Lantana into contemporary or cottage garden designs. Its strong tolerance for less-than-ideal soil conditions adds to its practical appeal in tough, exposed locations requiring low input.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Lantana camara, commonly called lantana or shrub verbena, is native to Central and South America and is an upright, frost-tender shrub. The tiny, 5-lobed flowers form dense clusters that bloom from summer to fall, often displaying mixed colors like yellow, orange, red, and purple simultaneously. This specific selection, ‘Ballucor’ or LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE, is prized for its dense, bushy dwarf form, reaching 10-12 inches tall with long bloom periods from spring to frost. Flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other essential pollinators.
Potential Problems
This Lantana variety generally exhibits no serious problems regarding pests or diseases that plague many other garden shrubs. However, growers, especially those overwintering plants indoors or keeping them in greenhouse environments, should remain vigilant for common subtropical pests. Specifically watch for infestations of whiteflies and spider mites, as stressed or housed plants become more susceptible to these nuisances.
Tolerances
- Low maintenance requires minimal intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE suitable for?
Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE is considered winter hardy only in USDA Zones 10 and 11 for top growth. Gardeners in cooler regions typically grow this Lantana variety as an annual bedding subject.
How large does Lantana grow?
This dwarf selection, Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE, is quite compact, maturing to a height and spread between 0.75 and 1 foot tall.
What sun exposure does Lantana need?
For the best, most continuous bloom cycle, Lantana requires full sun exposure throughout the day.
When does Lantana bloom?
It offers an extended flowering period, starting in May and continuing reliably until the first frost arrives.
Conclusion
The Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE is an invaluable resource for sunny garden spots, delivering exceptional, low-maintenance impact through its dense habit and continuous display of yellow and orange flowers. For gardeners aiming to maximize pollinator activity while minimizing required care, this selection of Lantana is an easy champion. Before planting, always confirm your local hardiness zone compatibility or plan adequate shelter for overwintering your Lantana selection.
Wildlife Benefits
The flowers of the Lantana genus are highly attractive to beneficial insects, providing crucial nectar throughout the hot summer months. The dense, hemispherical clusters of small, tubular flowers on Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE are specifically noted for drawing in hummingbirds and butterflies, significantly boosting garden biodiversity. Plant these liberally in sunny borders where you wish to encourage wildlife activity.
Container Growing
Growing Lantana in containers is an excellent strategy, especially when treating it as an annual or when preparing for overwintering. Use a high-quality, well-draining potting mix to prevent root rot, ensuring the container has excellent drainage holes. Because container plants dry out faster than those in the ground, adhere strictly to the medium watering needs—checking the soil daily during peak summer heat. This allows you to easily move your blooming Lantana camara ‘Ballucor’ LITTLE LUCKY ORANGE to shelter when temperatures begin to drop nearing the end of the growing season.
