My grandmother had a literal hedge row of lantana bushes on the west side of her house. Every spring, all the dry, brittle sticks left from winter would miracuously transform into the most colorful lantana bushes. The bushes helped square off two sides of a room-size patch of St. Augustine grass with one massive oak tree situated in the southwest corner of the outdoor room. Along the side of the house were tame dogwood bushes, forsythia and azaleas that acted as another wall of the room. The kitchen window faced west, so Grandma could watch us as we played on the perfectly manicured grass. In the summer, the lantana was a showstopper ~ one long row of oranges, yellows, pinks and whites!
But the best part about lantana is not the millions of tiny flowers. The best part about lantana is butterflies! For the butterflies, summertime means sweet lantana love! Talk about real butterfly kisses! As kids, my little brother and I would play on that grassy turf and be the first to spot and announce various butterfly species like a vacation game of car tags! Zebra Swallowtail! Monarch! Yellow Cabbage! Painted Lady! Tiger Swallowtail! Viceroy!
Now I have my own lantana bush with my own butterfly visitors. In the words of my mom, wonders never cease!
Dianne ; )
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