Lantana strigocamara

Common Name: lantana

Family: Verbenaceae

Common Synonyms: Lantana camara

USDA Hardiness Zone: 9b-11

Growth Habit: Shrub

Origin: Caribbean

FISC Category: 1

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: 1804

IFAS Assessment:

• North: INVASIVE
• Central: INVASIVE
• South: INVASIVE

Description

Multistemmed, deciduous shrub to 2 m with square stems, covered with bristly hairs and small prickles. Stalked leaves opposite, simple, rough hairy, to 15 cm, with blunt-toothed margins. Leaves bearing strong odor. Showy flowers small, multicolored in dense clusters to 4 cm across. Corolla a narrow tube with four spreading lobes and variable in color (orange, pink, yellow, red). Fruit a fleshy, round, 2-seeded drupe, black.

Habitat

Pinelands, hammocks, disturbed areas

Comments

A serious worldwide invader, a serious to common weed in 25 countries. Hybridizes with the native Lantana depressa, contaminating the gene pool.

Control Methods

• Manual: NA
• Chemical: Basal bark (10% trichlopyr ester), cut-stem (50% trichlopyr amine or 10% trichlopyr ester). [IFAS]
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

NA

References

Dave's Garden. 2014. PlantFiles: Lantana, Lantana camara. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/578/. Accessed on June 20, 2014.

Langeland, K.A., H.M. Cherry, C.M. McCormick, K.C. Burks. 2008. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas-Second Edition. IFAS Publication SP 257. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Langeland, K.A., J.A. Ferrell, B. Sellers, G.E. MacDonald, and R.K. Stocker. 2011. Integrated management of non-native plants in natural areas of Florida. EDIS publication SP 242. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Wunderlin, R. P., and B. F. Hansen. 2008. Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/).[S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.