I wish I would have measured the tempature of soil for reference but need to get me a soil thermometer.

==>>

dont waste money on a gizmo ... since you already know the issue ...

night is supposed to be a cooler recovery period from the onslaught of the day ... and you have found out why it wasnt ... the rock holding media temps too high all night ... the same thing happens when peeps have pots.. especially black ones on patios.. brickwork.. cement.. or jammed close to a brick wall ...

and all that probably led to a watering issue ... in that the plant couldnt pump enough water to offset the heat ....

try to place your pots.. so the pot is in shade.. but the plant in the sun it needs ....there are a myriad of tricks to do so ...

you might also use a pot in pot system.. where the inner pot is smaller.. so you have more air movement during the cooler period ... it can shed the heat somewhat ...

and make sure you repotted plant is in full shade until it gets over that stress ...

ken

You discovered the hazard of rocks raising the "perched water table." Is there a reason you're keeping it in a pot? Lantanas LOVE hot summer weather, as long as they get enough water. This one is over 6 ft. tall, about 9 feet wide.

@ ken, I move the struggling lantana to the ground. every plant I plant there thrives, Very good soil in the area I cleared off about 2 yrs ago.

@ jojo. I live in gerogia so have winters. Whats cool about the varieties of lantana I have is they are perennials, they die back but come back with new growth in may. Miss huff, new gold and pink huff is the 3 I have. Only thing I dont like about the miss huff is it gets HUGE in no time if in the ground. I had one I had to trim alot to get it to the size I like. I bet that irene lanatana wouldnt do to good in pots in nevada?? I am gonna go grab some pics of the lantana I have and post here. They are puitting on a show right now!! well except the one I just transplanted from the pot.

@ tiffanny. Thats looks like the pink huff variety? Wow thats huge. Miss huff gets huge too. A place where I work at has a pink huff and its huge like yours.. I actually have a pink huff in a container and its been doing good since I potted it back in may.

Randy, I also get winters because of my elevation. We get overnight freezes every night in January, but they are short and always followed by a warm, sunny day. So lantanas love it here. They are almost overused as a go-to landscaping plant for commercial lots, etc. But you can't beat that summer show! Some, like the purple trailing lantana, seem to be always in bloom.

Container are a different story. They seem to peak around this time, and the plants need to be rejuvenated. Otherwise they will decline.

Haha….my rocks in planters caused a different problem. I bought huge planters on sale but didnt want to have to use all my money on potting soil so put mini boulders in the bottom to eat up some space.

Fast Forward ten years and we were moving. I’d completely forgotten about the rocks and my husband and a friend were trying to move the planters.

”What do you have in these things??? Rocks?!?!”

Ding ding ding…we still laugh about that

I always put rocks in the top of my planters. If they get dry while I am away the rocks keep them from blowing over. Also keeps the weeds down, and actually keeps the soil more moist for longer. I've never put rocks in the bottom though. Lantana will not winter over for me. I am in 7b/8a, and I see huge lantanas in some people's yards, but it dies every year for me.

@ Chessie. I think the trick it to have it in ALOT of sun. And they wont over winter in pots.. You have to put them in soil/ground. was yours in pots??

No, my lantana was in the ground. I've never bothered putting them in a pot. Might be that I didn't find a sunny enough spot. I might try again next year but I'll have to find good sunny location this time.

Randy, if my Lantana has a name, it was lost a long time ago. I started my pictured plant from a cutting in 2014 or 15 from a very old plant.

@tiffany I am pretty sure yours is pink huff but I could be wrong