Lantana camara
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- lahn-TAHN-ah kah-MAR-ah
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Lantana is an annual or perennial, small, broadleaf evergreen shrub in the verbena family (Verbenaceae), native to the West Indies and Mexico to Tropical America. The specific epithet is a Latin word that refers either to a vaulted room or a type of small boat. The meaning in this case is obscure.
It prefers full sun in moist, well-drained soil but will tolerate poor soil and drought. It is known for its salt tolerance and will grow as a perennial in the warm coastal areas of North Carolina. Some varieties, such as 'Miss Huff', 'Ham and Eggs', and 'Chapel Hill Yellow' are frost-hardy in the Piedmont region.
Lantana has woody stems but a sprawling habit, growing wider than tall. The showy flowers – attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators – appear from midsummer until the first frost and come in a wide range of colors.
Lantana is often used as a houseplant, in hanging baskets, or in the border as a cultivated woody shrub or groundcover. This plant does grow quickly and aggressively, so plan its location accordingly. It is useful in butterfly or pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, or drought-tolerant gardens.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Whiteflies and spider mites can affect plants kept over the winter. In certain parts of the world with more tropical climates, lantana is a weedy pest. Leaves and unripe, green berries can cause minor skin irritation. It is toxic to livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, and goats. Some cultivars have shown excellent resistance to phytophthora. See Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the Landscape.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Butterfly Garden at Rob Wallace Park Plant Walls and Hedges Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden Pollinator Haven Garden in Sanford, Lee County Juniper Level Botanic Garden: Sunken Pond Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Alba'
Called "white trailing lantana." Low growing cultivar with white flowers. - 'Anne Marie'
Flowers change from yellow through orange to pink and red-fuchsia - Bandana® Group
Many colors; heat- and drought-resistant; some trailing cultivars
Bandito™ Group
- 'Chapel Hill Yellow'
Pale yellow flowers, long lifespan, fast growing. - 'Dallas Red'
Flowers are red with orange overtones and yellow centers.
'Ham and Eggs'
- Little Lucky™ Group
Compact, heavy bloomers. Many colors available.
'Miss Huff'
- 'New Gold'
Low growing habit can spread up to 6' wide. Golden yellow flowers. - 'Radiation'
Can grow to 4 to 6 ft. tall and wide. Dual toned red-orange and yellow.
Compact mounding habit, orange, rose or pink cultivars
Pink and yellow cultivar that is cold hardy to 7b
Orange and yellow flowers, cold hardy to zone 7b. Resistant to phytophthora. - 'Alba'
- 'Alba', 'Anne Marie', Bandana® Group, Bandito™ Group, 'Chapel Hill Yellow', 'Dallas Red', 'Ham and Eggs', Little Lucky™ Group, 'Miss Huff', 'New Gold', 'Radiation'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Alba'
Called "white trailing lantana." Low growing cultivar with white flowers. - 'Anne Marie'
Flowers change from yellow through orange to pink and red-fuchsia - Bandana® Group
Many colors; heat- and drought-resistant; some trailing cultivars
Bandito™ Group
- 'Chapel Hill Yellow'
Pale yellow flowers, long lifespan, fast growing. - 'Dallas Red'
Flowers are red with orange overtones and yellow centers.
'Ham and Eggs'
- Little Lucky™ Group
Compact, heavy bloomers. Many colors available.
'Miss Huff'
- 'New Gold'
Low growing habit can spread up to 6' wide. Golden yellow flowers. - 'Radiation'
Can grow to 4 to 6 ft. tall and wide. Dual toned red-orange and yellow.
Compact mounding habit, orange, rose or pink cultivars
Pink and yellow cultivar that is cold hardy to 7b
Orange and yellow flowers, cold hardy to zone 7b. Resistant to phytophthora. - 'Alba'
- 'Alba', 'Anne Marie', Bandana® Group, Bandito™ Group, 'Chapel Hill Yellow', 'Dallas Red', 'Ham and Eggs', Little Lucky™ Group, 'Miss Huff', 'New Gold', 'Radiation'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Lantana
- Species:
- camara
- Family:
- Verbenaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The stalks are used as raw material for paper pulp. Lantana bark is astringent and used as a lotion in leprous ulcers and other skin eruptions. Lantana camara leaves are boiled and applied for swellings. Alkaloids from lantana have been found to stimulate intestinal movements, lower blood pressure and accelerate deep respiration. It has been found to have antimicrobial, fungicidal and insecticidal properties.
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- native to the West Indies, Mexico to Tropical America
- Wildlife Value:
- Lantana flowers are very attractive to butterflies, berries are eaten by birds.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Some cultivars resistant to phytophthora.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Ground Cover
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Erect
- Prostrate
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- berry-like drupe turns metallic blue or purple-black
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long Bloom Season
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are borne in hemispherical clusters of tubular white, red, pink, or yellow flowers, with five lobes. The clusters are borne on long stalks. The flowers within a cluster often change colors as they age, giving multicolored displays.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Simple, opposite or whorled, toothed, ovate, fragrant when crushed
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Description:
- Spiny, square stems
-
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Pool/Hardscape
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Heat
- Humidity
- Salt
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Children
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
- Weedy
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- Eating the plant can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, labored respiration, weakness, liver failure - more common in livestock; the leaves may cause dermatitis in sensitive individuals.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Pentacyclic triterpenoids, Triterpenes (lantadene A & B)
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Sap/Juice
