Miss Huff Lantana

Lantana camara 'Miss Huff'

flower

Miss Huff is the hardiest of the lantanas - a vigorous shrubby selection of Lantana camara that reaches 4 to 6 ft and carries rounded clusters of orange, coral, and yellow flowers nonstop from midsummer until frost. Where most lantanas are pure annuals north of the Deep South, Miss Huff reliably overwinters to about zone 7b, dying to the ground and resprouting from the roots. The flowers are an absolute butterfly and hummingbird magnet, and a real bonus: Miss Huff is self-sterile, so it sets little or no fruit and will not seed around the way invasive lantanas do.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• May Night Salvia — Blue spikes cool the hot lantana tones and both draw bees and hummingbirds
• Zinnia — Heat-loving annual that matches lantanas long bloom and butterfly appeal
• Purple Coneflower — Shares the full-sun, well-drained site and feeds the same pollinators
• Globe Amaranth — Tough heat-lover that pairs in the butterfly border and tolerates the same dry spells

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Whiteflies →

  Most troublesome on plants overwintered indoors - rinse foliage, use yellow sticky traps, and keep plants in good airflow

• Spider mites →

  Appear in hot, dry, dusty conditions, especially on indoor-wintered plants - rinse leaf undersides and raise humidity

• Lace bugs →

  Check leaf undersides for stippling and rinse them off; vigorous outdoor plants usually tolerate light feeding

🌸 Blooms & cutting

Lantana is grown for the garden and for wildlife rather than as a cut flower, though short sprigs can go in casual arrangements. The main task is simply to enjoy its nonstop bloom and let it feed butterflies and hummingbirds from midsummer to frost; no deadheading is needed, and because Miss Huff is sterile it keeps flowering without setting seed. Wear gloves when handling, as the foliage can irritate skin.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Lantana is one of the very best butterfly plants for hot weather - its nectar-rich flower clusters draw swallowtails, monarchs, sulphurs, skippers, and many other butterflies, plus hummingbirds, all season long. Miss Huff being sterile means it pours energy into bloom rather than the berries that make some lantanas invasive. Note: the leaves and the unripe berries of lantana are toxic if eaten, so site it away from where children or pets might nibble.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Toxic - do not eat. The unripe green berries are the main hazard, and the leaves and sap are also poisonous if eaten, causing vomiting and diarrhea. The foliage and sap can irritate skin. Grow as an ornamental only and keep the green berries away from children and pets.