This article is basically for the lower elevations of the Southwest.

But it can also be adapted to other garden areas.

I get this question all the time at our garden retail store, why do my lantana and red bird of paradise plants die during the winter months?

Lantana and Red Bird of Paradise have spectacular, colorful-looking flowers during the early summer and late fall months. However, they do not like temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the desert southwest, we will experience temperatures as high as about 20 degrees and sometimes into the teens.

The best advice is to reduce them anytime between January and March. Make sure to cut them close to the ground. Especially the younger and smaller plants. It’s best to keep the crown covered with mulch until night temperatures rise above 50 degrees F.

Larger, more established red bird of paradise plants do not need to be cut back to the ground. Just trim off about 1/4 of the top.

Once the weather warms up significantly, you can remove the mulch around them so the sun can warm the soil around the roots. Be patient and look for little green shoots to start to emerge. Once this happens and the weather stays warm, both lantana and bird of paradise will start to grow at a tremendous rate.

You can lightly feed them with your choice of fertilizer. In most cases they will outgrow previous years as they have an extensive root system. Remember that lots of warmth and patience in early spring will be rewarded with lots of color throughout the summer.

Lantana is also commonly known as Shrub Verbena. All Lantanas are hardy, hardy plants that thrive in warm climates and bloom profusely from spring until frost.

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