Yes, lantana come back every year in USDA Zones 9 through 11 where winters stay mild. In colder zones, the plant dies to the ground and may or may not return. It all depends on how harsh your winter gets and how well you protect the roots.
The lantana annual or perennial answer depends on where you live. In southern Florida or coastal Texas, lantana grows as a true perennial that returns stronger each spring. In Zone 8 and colder areas, most gardeners treat it as an annual. Freezing temps kill the stems and often the roots too. I grow lantana in Zone 8 and watched every branch turn brown after a frost hit 26°F (-3°C) one December night. The whole plant looked dead and I almost ripped it out.
Here is what surprised me though. I left those ugly dead stems in place all winter because I ran out of time for fall cleanup. By mid-April, tiny green shoots pushed up from the soil at the base. The roots had made it through the cold even though everything above ground looked gone. That taught me to never rush the cleanup after a hard winter. I've told other gardeners the same story many times since then.
Lantana is a tender perennial at its core. It stores energy in its root system during the growing season. Those roots can handle brief cold snaps down to about 28°F (-2°C) without dying. But a long freeze below that mark will kill them off for good. Whether your lantana acts as annual or perennial in borderline zones comes down to winter prep.
A thick layer of 3 to 4 inches of mulch over the root zone helps a lot. Apply it before your first hard frost arrives. Shredded bark, straw, or pine needles all work fine for this job. I use pine straw because it's cheap and easy to spread in my garden. This mulch acts like a warm blanket for the roots below ground. It can mean the difference between a plant that comes back and one that turns to mush under the soil. You should also cut your lantana back to about 6 inches above the ground before you mulch so the cover sits right over the crown.
Container plants give you the best shot at lantana overwintering in cold areas. Move your potted lantana inside before nights drop below 40°F (4°C) on a regular basis. Put the pots in a cool room at 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 15.5°C) with little light. Water just enough to keep the soil from going bone dry. That means once every two to three weeks at most. Your plant will drop its leaves and go dormant. This looks scary but it's normal.
I keep mine in the garage for lantana overwintering and it works every time. The goal is keeping the temp above freezing without waking the plant up too soon. Move it back outside after your last frost date passes. Wait until nighttime lows stay above 50°F (10°C) for a full week first. In my experience, rushing the move back outside is the number one mistake people make with stored lantana.
Wait until late spring before you give up on your lantana. I've seen plants push out new growth in May when everything else leafed out back in March. Scratch the bark near the base with your thumbnail. If you see green underneath, the plant is still alive. Give it more time and warmer soil before you pull it out and replace it. Patience pays off with this plant more than almost any other perennial in your garden.
Read the full article: Lantana Plant: Growing and Care Guide
