Lantana
Verbenaceae
Shrub Verbena
Foliage can be almost prickly, adhering to clothes, but not seriously puncturing the skin; when crushed foliage is aromatic, neither greatly attractive nor unpleasant though, colourful domed flower heads of tubular flowers.
Uses
Flowering shrub, border plant, or occasionally as a bedding plant.
Culture
Most soils, vigorous in warm weather if soil is moist; only suitable outdoors in the mildest temperate regions (will suffer below 7 degrees C). Greenhouse and conservatory specimens need plenty of ventilation and moisture. Prune (anytime) to keep growth dense and plant contained.
Propagation
Seed may be sown in late winter, or cuttings of ripe shoots may be struck in summer and kept at 16-18 degrees C.
Cultivars
Around 150 species, plus varieties including:
L. camara: To 1.5 m tall, pungent foliage, scented and hairy to prickly foliage. Flowers include orange-yellow, white, pink, golden yellow and red. Flowers darken with age so many colours can be observed in one flower head.
L. sellowiana (syn. L. montevidensis): To 1 metre tall, with rose-lilac flowers with yellow eyes. Various named cultivars exist with variations in growth habit and flower colour.
Plant Health
Hardy to heat but not cold; sensitive to heavy frosts, but some cultivars will survive sub-zero temperatures for short periods; has become a serious weed in some warm temperate to subtropical areas (declared a noxious weed in Queensland). They are generally pest and disease-free but can suffer from infestations of lace bugs, leaf miner, whitefly and mealy bug.
More info
Indigenous to the Americas and South Africa; around 150 species.
Note: Some are declared weeds and though it is a popular garden plant in some countries, it may be illegal to grow Lantana in some other places.
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