Lantana camara
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Camara vulgaris
- Phonetic Spelling
- lahn-TAHN-ah kah-MAR-ah
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Lantana is a small, broadleaf evergreen shrub in the Verbenaceae (verbena) family that has woody stems but a sprawling habit. It is found growing in tropical climates across the globe and is known for its salt tolerance. Plant it in full sun in well-drained soil.
The showy flowers appear from mid-summer until the first frost and come in a wide range of color from pink, white, yellow, orange red, and purple or mixed colors. Lantana will perennialize in the warm coastal areas of North Carolina. Some varieties, such as 'Miss Huff', 'Ham and Eggs' and 'Chapel Hill Yellow' are frost-hardy throughout the warmer areas of the Piedmont.
It is often used as a houseplant, in hanging baskets or in flower gardens as a cultivated woody shrub or groundcover. This plant does grow quickly and aggressively so plan its location accordingly.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems though wite flies and spider mites can affect plants kept over the winter. In certain areas of the country with more tropical climates Lantana camera is weedy or even invasive. eaves and unripe, green berries can cause minor skin irritation. It is toxic to livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, and goats.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Walkway at the Park Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Alba'
- 'Anne Marie'
- 'Bandana Lemon Zest'
- 'Bandana Trailing Gold'
- 'Bandito Orange Sunrise'
- 'Chapel Hill Yellow'
- 'Dallas Red'
- 'Little Lucky Peach Glow'
- 'Little Lucky Red'
- 'Lucky Pot of Gold'
- 'New Gold'
- 'Radiation'
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 7b - 'Alba'
- 'Alba', 'Anne Marie', 'Bandana Lemon Zest', 'Bandana Trailing Gold', 'Bandito', 'Bandito Orange Sunrise', 'Chapel Hill Yellow', 'Dallas Red', 'Ham and Eggs', 'Little Lucky Peach Glow', 'Little Lucky Red', 'Lucky Pot of Gold', 'Miss Huff', 'New Gold', 'Radiation'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Alba'
- 'Anne Marie'
- 'Bandana Lemon Zest'
- 'Bandana Trailing Gold'
- 'Bandito Orange Sunrise'
- 'Chapel Hill Yellow'
- 'Dallas Red'
- 'Little Lucky Peach Glow'
- 'Little Lucky Red'
- 'Lucky Pot of Gold'
- 'New Gold'
- 'Radiation'
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 7b - 'Alba'
- 'Alba', 'Anne Marie', 'Bandana Lemon Zest', 'Bandana Trailing Gold', 'Bandito', 'Bandito Orange Sunrise', 'Chapel Hill Yellow', 'Dallas Red', 'Ham and Eggs', 'Little Lucky Peach Glow', 'Little Lucky Red', 'Lucky Pot of Gold', '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
- 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
- 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
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11b, 11a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 0.3 in. orange or red fleshy 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:
- Fragrant
- 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:
- 1 - 2 in. spherical clusters of tubular white, red, pink, or yellow flowers, with five lobes in a flat-topped cluster on a long stalk.
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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
- Houseplants
- Pool/Hardscape
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- 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
-
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- Vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, labored respiration, weakness, Liver failure - more common in livestock; the leaves may cause dermatitis.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Pentacyclic triterpenoids, Triterpenes (lantadene A & B)
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Sap/Juice
