Meet the unexpected 'it' flower of 2026 - here's why its 'stunning, vibrant blooms' are set to become this year's garden border hero
We genuinely never saw this gardening trend coming…
Garden trends have a habit of sneaking up on us, and the unexpected ‘it’ flower of 2026 is a perfect example. One minute, we’re all obsessing over cottage garden perennials and muted, meadow-inspired palettes; the next, something altogether louder, brighter and far less expected.
This year, then, belongs to a plant that most UK gardeners would never have considered a flower bed staple until now. In fact, they likely wouldn’t have considered it to be a garden plant full stop. Why? Because this tropical beauty was way more likely to be found in a conservatory or holiday resort than planted out alongside salvias, grasses, and long flowering perennials.
Things change, though – including the climate. Over the past couple of growing seasons, gardeners have begun looking for plants that can cope with hotter, drier spells without sacrificing impact. Plants that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor growing. Plants like, say, lantana.
Why lantana is going to be major
Traditionally grown outdoors in warmer overseas climates to attract pollinators, lantana has long been viewed in the UK as something of an exotic outlier. That perception, however, is beginning to change.
'Lantana is mostly grown outside to attract pollinators in warmer overseas climates,' says Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries. 'However, this is very likely to change for gardeners soon since RHS Wisley dazzled visitors with a prolifically flowering lantana full of stunning, vibrant blooms all summer long.'
Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.
What gardeners saw at Wisley was not a delicate novelty but a robust, high-performing plant holding its own in a public garden setting. And this ties into a wider shift in how people are using plants in their gardens.
‘Lantana is one of the many plants in a growing trend of in-and-out plants,’ Morris explains. ‘Houseplants such as spider plants, begonias and ferns are often moved from the home to outdoors for the summer months, and that is now extending to tropical, flowering plants to bring some colour and flair to garden borders, and that’s exactly what lantana does.’
Lantana is fast becoming one of the biggest must-have plants of 2026.
This hybrid approach is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among gardeners with limited space. Rather than relying solely on fully hardy perennials, more people are experimenting with plants that can be moved, refreshed and redeployed throughout the year. And lantana, with its tolerance of different light conditions and soils, slots neatly into this mindset.
In fact, Steven Bell, gardening enthusiast and founder of Paving Shopper, says that lantana’s rise to unexpected ‘it’ flower of 2026 is less about novelty and more about changing habits
'Lantana is an interesting choice as a potential ‘it’ flower because it reflects a wider shift in how people are using plants, rather than just a passing fashion for a particular look,' he says. 'Traditionally seen as a conservatory or houseplant in the UK, its performance outdoors in a warm summer, such as at RHS Wisley last year, has encouraged gardeners to be more experimental,' he adds.
Steven Bell is an experienced landscaper, with years of experience owning paving and gardening companies. Combining hands-on expertise with a deep appreciation for sustainable landscaping practices, Steven enjoys sharing his insights with readers to inspire their own green-thumb adventures.
That experimentation is being fuelled by necessity as much as curiosity. Hotter summers are no longer a one-off, and plants that thrive in heat (particularly those deemed the best drought-tolerant plants for pots) are becoming more valuable.
‘What makes lantana especially appealing is its long flowering period, strong colour, and tolerance of heat, all qualities that are becoming more valuable as summers become warmer and drier,’ Bell notes.
FAQs
Can I grow lantana in the UK?
You can grow lantana in the UK, but it works best as a seasonal star rather than a permanent fixture. It won’t replace hardy border stalwarts, but it excels at filling the midsummer gap when early perennials fade and autumn interest hasn’t yet kicked in.
'Lantana has long-lasting flowers which will carry on throughout summer into autumn and will grow in pots and mixed borders, and it's easy to grow in various light and soil,' says Morris Hankinson of Hopes Grove Nurseries.
Try planting it in pots or slotting it into mixed borders for a boost of intensity and texture at exactly the moment gardens can start to feel tired.
Will lantana survive UK winter?
Lantana won't survive UK winters without help, which is one of the many reasons it's best used as a potted plant. If you do keep yours in your container garden, you can simply pick them up and move them inside before the first frost. Overwintering 101, essentially!
For gardeners willing to think beyond traditional categories, lantana represents something bigger than a single trend. It’s a signal that the definition of a “border plant” is evolving to become more flexible, more experimental and more responsive to a changing climate.
Is it the unexpected ‘it’ flower of 2026? Absolutely. In fact, you can count on this once-overlooked plant to become the one everyone’s talking about before too long at all. Happy planting...
