New Gold is the lantana you see blooming through July heat in the toughest spots around town, and that toughness is the point. Clusters of golden-yellow flowers cover a low, spreading mound 3 to 4 feet across from late spring until frost, and butterflies work it all day long.

Give it full sun and any soil that drains; once rooted it barely needs watering. Deer and rabbits skip it. In Birmingham it often returns after mild winters: leave the top growth on until spring, mulch the crown, then cut back hard.