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.

Description

Common lantana is an annual or perennial, small, broadleaf evergreen shrub in the Verbenaceae (verbena) family that has woody stems but a sprawling habit. It is 1 to 6 feet high and 3 to 5 feet wide. It is native to the West Indies and Mexico to Tropical America.

Lantana 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.

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.

Common lantana is often used as a houseplant, in hanging baskets, or in pollinator and 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: Whiteflies and spider mites can affect plants kept over the winter. In certain areas of the country with more tropical climates common lantana is weedy or even invasive. Leaves 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:

Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden Raised Bed Pollinator Gardens Walkway at the Park, Cabarrus County

Cultivars / Varieties:

'Alba'
'Anne Marie'
'Bandana Lemon Zest'
'Bandana Trailing Gold'

'Bandito'

Compact mounding habit, orange, rose or pink cultivars

'Bandito Orange Sunrise'
'Chapel Hill Yellow'
'Dallas Red'

'Ham and Eggs'
Pink and yellow cultivar that is cold hardy to 7b

'Little Lucky Peach Glow'
'Little Lucky Red'
'Lucky Pot of Gold'

'Miss Huff'

Orange and yellow flowers, cold hardy to 7b

'New Gold'
'Radiation'

'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:

#fragrant #hummingbird friendly #deciduous #poisonous #full sun tolerant #fragrant flowers #heat tolerant #houseplant #drought tolerant #shrub #purple flowers #pink flowers #weedy #fragrant leaves #toxic #salt tolerant #medicinal #orange flowers #interiorscape #low maintenance #apvg #cottage garden #accent plant #hanging baskets #fast growing #salt spray tolerant #cpp #aggressive #summer flowers #deer resistant #groundcover #pollinator plant #poor soils tolerant #small group plantings #butterfly friendly #apvg-a #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for children #problem for horses #tropical feel #contact dermatitis #container plant #problem for cattle #perennial #annual #landscape plant sleuths course

Lantana camara 'Radiation' Kathleen Moore CC BY 2.0

Swallowtail butterfly Curt Hiller CC BY 4.0

'Bandara Lemon Zest' form, foliage and flowers Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

'Miss Huff' Flower & Seeds - Wake Co., NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

'Miss Huff' Flowers Close-up - Wake Co., NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Fruit - September - Warren Co., NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

'New Gold' Flowers/Buds - September - Warren Co., NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0