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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Verbenaceae (Vervains) |
| Origin: Tropical America |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Fall |
| Synonyms: [L. x hybrida 'New Gold', L. Gold Mound] |
| Parentage: (Lantana camara x Lantana montevidensis?) |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 4-6 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Lantana 'New Gold' (New Gold Lantana) - An evergreen low growing semi-hardy groundcover shrub that grows 18 to 24 1inches tall by 6 feet wide or more with densely held medium green foliage that have a decorative rugose texture. From spring through fall appear a profusion of rich golden yellow flowers in tight 1 inch wide clusters and, with its near sterility, the flowers rarely produce any seed, so are self-cleaning and the plant more florally prolific. Plant in full to mostly full sun in most any soil type and water occasionally - though not a summer dry plant in our mediterranean climate, it does not require as much water as one would think given its more tropical origins. It is evergreen in frost-free climates down to 25 °F and in Texas A&M field trials this plant proved to be root hardy to 10° F and useful with mulch down into USDA Zone 7. It reportedly is tolerant of reflected heat, smog, poor soil, coastal and dry conditions as well as being resistant to predation by deer and rabbits. If in a cold region it can be pruned back hard in early spring to rejuvenate and this is a good time to prune if trying to control its size and keep an eye out for white fly, which can plague Lantana camara varieties some years. With its wide spreading growth and attractive long flowering period, this is an excellent plant to use as low shrub or groundcover on a slope or as a border planting. It is also nice spilling out of container specimen or hanging basket and it is a pollinator magnet, attracting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. In Auburn University research studies it was determined to be one of the most attractive lantanas for butterflies with 'New Gold', and 'Radiation' having significantly more visits in late summer and fall than other varieties. The Georgia Gold Medal Plant Program noted that "The golden yellow flowers are best showcased by deep blue plants such as Salvia guaranitica (planted behind), or Scaevola ‘Blue Wonder’ (planted in front)." This cultivar was reported by many to be a hybrid between the more subtropical North American species, Lantana camara, and the South American trailing Lantana montevidensis, but it most closely resembles Lantana camara and its hybrid parentage has not been confirmed by taxonomic evidence. The name for the genus comes from a Latin name for plants in the genus Viburnum because of the similar inflorescence structure and the specific epithet 'camara' is a Mexican or South American vernacular name (some claim it to be derived from Greek word meaning "arched", "chambered" or "vaulted") and the specific epithet montevidensis from the location in Montevideo, Uruguay where Lantana montevidensis is found. Allan Armitage while at the University of Georgia, was one of the first to note the merits of Lantana 'New Gold' in 1995 while writing about plants that could help promote the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He also co-authored an article with Holly Scoggins titled "Lantana: Is it just me or do a lot of these things look the same?" in The University of Georgia Publication Georgia Floriculture that noted that 'New Gold' and 'Gold Mound' are identical with a very similar flower to the more upright 'Patriot Moonshine'. It is an award winning plant by many university plant programs, including being a 1995 Georgia Gold Medal winner, a 1996 Mississippi Medallion winner, a 1997 Texas Superstar winner, a 2000 Arkansas Select winner. One reason for its popularity is that it near sterile, which benefits in multiple ways. For one the black berries of Lantana are poisonous to stock animals and humans and the lack of this fruit lessons concerns about this but also Lantana camara, which was first introduced into Europe as an ornamental plant around 1650 and is now naturalized in at least 60 countries and in many is is considered an invasive pest plant, so the lack of fruit on this cultivar is also beneficial because it does not reseed. In a study published in Hort Science by David M. Czarnecki, Amanda J. Hershberger, Carol D. Robacker, David G. Clark and Zhanao Deng that was titled "Ploidy Levels and Pollen Stainability of Lantana camara Cultivars and Breeding Lines" it was determined that New Gold was a triploid with extremely low pollen stainability, which translates it being close if not acutally self sterile.
This information about Lantana 'New Gold' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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