Shrub Verbena Lantana camara

Other Common Name(s):

Other plants called Shrub Verbena:

Lantana trifolia

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. 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 offered 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:

'Alba'
Called White Trailing Lantana. Low growing cultivar with white flowers.
'Anne Marie'
Boasts Bi-colored flowers in yellows, oranges, pinks, red/fuchsia
'Bandana Lemon Zest'
Flowers are light to deep yellow. Ideal hanging plant.
'Bandana Trailing Gold'
Deep gold flowers. Trailing habit ideal for groundcover.

'Bandito'

Compact mounding habit, orange, rose or pink cultivars

'Bandito Orange Sunrise'
Outer orange flowers becoming yellow towards the center.
'Chapel Hill Yellow'
Pale yellow flowers, long lifespan, fast growing.
'Dallas Red'
Flowers are red with orange overtones and yellow centers.

'Ham and Eggs'

Pink and yellow cultivar that is cold hardy to 7b

'Little Lucky Peach Glow'
Referred to as Bigleaf Lantana in the Little Lucky series. Flowers are gold, salmon pink and peach blends.
'Little Lucky Red'
Compact, heavy bloomer in the Little Lucky series. Shades of blended gold, orange and red flowers.
'Lucky Pot of Gold'
Golden-yellow flowers. Compact habit. Little Lucky series.

'Miss Huff'

Orange and yellow flowers, cold hardy to zone 7b. Resistant to phytophthora.

'New Gold'
Low growing habit can spread up to 6' wide. Golden yellow flowers.
'Radiation'
Referred to as Red Sage. Can grow to 4-6' tall and wide. Dual toned red-orange and yellow.

'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:

#hummingbird friendly #deciduous #poisonous #full sun tolerant #heat tolerant #houseplant #drought tolerant #shrub #purple flowers #pink flowers #fragrant leaves #salt tolerant #medicinal #orange flowers #interiorscape #low maintenance #apvg #cottage garden #hanging baskets #fast growing #salt spray tolerant #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 #weed #landscape plant sleuths course #th-smell #accent #cpp #hs111 #hs303

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