hedging shrub used in Portugal

I'm hoping Lady of Leisure can help me out here

We visit Portugal (Algarve) quite often for holidays, on our vists we quite often see a shrub used for hedging which has small clusters of pink and orange flowers. I'd really like to know what this shrub is and whether it would grow in the UK?

Any help would be much appreciated

 

Hi Kaytutt!

That would be Lantana camara. I have it in a small hedge by the outdoor dining area. It's fantastic for attracting butterflies.

As far as hardiness goes, it is killed back to the ground at 28oF (-2.2oC) but it will grow back as the weather warms up. It is very quick growing.

This may be of interest to you ...

http://www.floridata.com/ref/l/lant_c.cfm

Do you visit anywhere in particular here?

 

Many thanks, that is indeed the shrub, isnt it lovely? now all I have to do is see if I can find one in the UK!

We tend to hire villa's in Vilamoura as we have a good relationship with a Welsh born estate manager who now lives there but she retired last year so I'm back to sourcing my own villa's lol

We've also hired a villa just outside Alvor (Serre E Mar)

 

Ola again! I found that the local garden centres sold Lantana as a summer bedding plant. As you see by the link, they come in various colours. I have yellow/white, yellow and pink/blue in my little hedge.

In my Country Life thread I posted a visit to Vilamoura harbour a few weeks ago. My cousins like staying in Alvor at the Pestana (the big one on the hill).

 

I just looked at your country life thread, those pictures bring back memories and you managed to get a shot of the motor cruiser I keep there for my holidays too! (I wish!)

I think you are very lucky to live in Portugal, I almost bought a third of a share in a Vilamoura villa 3 years ago but some of my buying partners dithered a bit and in the end decided against it, of course they wish they had now but I think the prices are probably beyond our reach these days.