• Photo of Lantana camara (Lantana camaras)

Plant Profile: Lantana camara

Taxonomy: Lantana camara

Names

Common Lantana, Lantana, Red Sage, Shrub Verbena, Yellow Sage

  • Photo of Lantana camara (Lantana camaras)

Phonetic Spelling:lahn-TAHN-ah kah-MAR-ah

Genus:Lantana

Species:camara

Family:Verbenaceae

Lantana camara is a compact, perennial shrub commonly utilized as a houseplant, in hanging baskets, or as a cultivated woody shrub and groundcover in flower gardens. In the warmer coastal regions of North Carolina, Lantana can thrive year-round. Certain varieties, including 'Miss Huff,' 'Ham and Eggs,' and 'Chapel Hill Yellow,' are resilient to frost and can endure the milder climates of the Piedmont area.

It’s important to note that the leaves and unripe green berries may cause minor skin irritation and are toxic to livestock, including cattle, sheep, horses, and goats.

Lantana camara Feature Summary

Lantana camara Image Gallery

Tags

#fragrant
#hummingbirds
#deciduous
#yellow
#poisonous
#full sun tolerant
#fragrant flowers
#heat tolerant
#annual
#drought tolerant
#orange
#perennial
#shrub
#purple flowers
#pink flowers
#weedy
#fragrant leaves
#toxic
#salt tolerant
#medicinal
#orange flowers
#low maintenance
#apvg
#cottage garden
#salt spray tolerant
#cpp
#summer flowers
#deer resistant
#groundcover
#pollinator plant
#poor soils tolerant
#butterfly friendly
#apvg-a
#problem for cats
#problem for dogs
#problem for horses
#tropical feel

Similar Plants

Lantana camara is often confused with:

Lantana camara Feature Summary

Attributes
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.
native to the West Indies, Mexico to Tropical America
Lantana flowers are very attractive to butterflies, berries are eaten by birds.
Perennial
Annual
Seed
Stem Cutting
Division
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Attractive Flowers
Fruit
0.3 in. orange or red fleshy berry-like drupe turns metallic blue or purple-black
Green
Purple/Lavender
Black
Blue
< 1 inch
Flowers
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.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Fragrant
Showy
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
4-5 petals/rays
Tubular
Star
< 1 inch
Leaves
Simple, opposite or whorled, toothed, ovate, fragrant when crushed
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Opposite
Whorled
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Poisonous to Humans
Vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, labored respiration, weakness, Liver failure - more common in livestock; the leaves may cause dermatitis.
Pentacyclic triterpenoids, Triterpenes (lantadene A & B)
Leaves
Sap/Juice
Flowers
Fruits
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Shrub
Annual
Poisonous
Ground Cover
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Arching
Rounded
Erect
Prostrate
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
3 feet-6 feet
12 inches-3 feet
Coastal
Piedmont
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Cottage Garden
Drought
Deer
Heat
Humidity
Salt
Container
Houseplants
Pool/Hardscape
Coastal
Butterflies
Pollinators
Hummingbirds
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Weedy
Problem for Children

Lantana camara Attributes

Lantana camara: 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.

Lantana camara: Country Or Region Of Origin

native to the West Indies, Mexico to Tropical America

Lantana camara: Wildlife Value

Lantana flowers are very attractive to butterflies, berries are eaten by birds.

Lantana camara: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Lantana camara: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Lantana camara: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Lantana camara Fruit

Lantana camara: Fruit Description

0.3 in. orange or red fleshy berry-like drupe turns metallic blue or purple-black

Lantana camara: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Lantana camara: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Blue
grass
Green
grass
Purple/Lavender

Lantana camara: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Lantana camara: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Lantana camara: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Lantana camara Flowers

Lantana camara: 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.

Lantana camara: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Orange
filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender
filter_vintage
White

Lantana camara: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Lantana camara: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Lantana camara: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Lantana camara: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Lantana camara: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Lantana camara: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Lantana camara Leaves

Lantana camara: Leaf Description

Simple, opposite or whorled, toothed, ovate, fragrant when crushed

Lantana camara: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Lantana camara: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Lantana camara: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Lantana camara: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Lantana camara: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Lantana camara: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Lantana camara: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Lantana camara: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Lantana camara: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Lantana camara: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Lantana camara: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Lantana camara Stem

Lantana camara: Stem Description

Spiny, square stems

Lantana camara: Stem Color

grass
Green

Lantana camara: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Lantana camara: Stem Cross Section

Angular
Oval
Round
Square

Lantana camara Poisonous to Humans

Lantana camara: Poison Symptoms

Vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, labored respiration, weakness, Liver failure - more common in livestock; the leaves may cause dermatitis.

Lantana camara: Poison Toxic Principle

Pentacyclic triterpenoids, Triterpenes (lantadene A & B)

Lantana camara: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Lantana camara: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Lantana camara: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Lantana camara Whole Plant Traits

Lantana camara: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Lantana camara: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Lantana camara: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Lantana camara: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Lantana camara: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Lantana camara: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Lantana camara Cultural Conditions

Lantana camara: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Lantana camara: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Lantana camara: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Lantana camara: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Lantana camara: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Lantana camara: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
11a
thermostat
11b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Lantana camara: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Lantana camara Landscape

Lantana camara: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Lantana camara: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Lantana camara: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Lantana camara: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Lantana camara: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Lantana camara: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy