lantana camara

Lantana camara is a perennial, erect sprawling or scandent, shrub which typically grows to around {{Convert|2|m|ft|abbr=off|frac=2}} tall and form dense thickets in a variety of environments. Under the right conditions, it can scramble up into trees and can grow to {{Convert|6|m|abbr=on}} tall.[https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/weeds-australia/profile/Lantana%20camara#:~:text=Lantana%20(Lantana%20camara)%20is%20a,grow%20to%206%20metres%20high. Lantana camara L. ] WEEDS AUSTRALIA - PROFILES. Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.{{cite journal |last=Sharma |first=O.P. |year=1981 |title=A Review of the Toxicity of Lantana camara (Linn) in Animals |journal=Clinical Toxicology |volume=18 |issue=9 |pages=1077–1094 |doi=10.3109/15563658108990337|pmid=7032835 }}

The leaves are broadly ovate, opposite, and simple and have a strong odour when crushed.{{cite journal|author=Rosacia, W. Z.|year=2004|title=Lantana and Hagonoy: Poisonous weeds prominent in rangeland and grassland areas|journal=Research Information Series on Ecosystems|volume=16|issue=2|url=http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/publications/rise/r_v16n2.pdf|access-date= July 27, 2011|display-authors=etal}}

L. camara has small tubular-shaped flowers, which each have four petals and are arranged in clusters in terminal areas stems. Flowers come in many different colours, including red, yellow, white, pink and orange, which differ depending on location in inflorescences, age, and maturity.{{cite journal |last=MOHAN RAM |first=H.Y. |year=1984 |title=Flower Colour Changes in Lantana camara |journal=Journal of Experimental Botany |volume=35 |issue=11 |pages=1656–1662 |doi= 10.1093/jxb/35.11.1656}} The flower has a tutti frutti smell with a peppery undertone. After pollination occurs, the colour of the flowers changes (typically from yellow to orangish, pinkish, or reddish); this is believed to be a signal to pollinators that the pre-change colour contains a reward as well as being sexually viable, thus increasing pollination efficiency.{{cite conference |last=Weiss |first=Martha. R. |year=1990 |title=Floral Color Changes As Cues For Pollinators |conference=ISHS Acta Horticulturae 288: VI International Symposium on Pollination |url=http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=288_46 }} In frost-free climates the plant can bloom all year round, especially when the soil is moist.[http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/256472/Lantana.pdf Lantana] Rod Ensbey, Regional Weed Control Coordinator, Grafton. September 2008.

There are five major flower colour varieties in Australia:[https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/60376/IPA-Lantana-Flowers-Id-Guide.pdf Identification Guide: Lantana flowers] Lantana – A Weed of National Significance (www.nrm.qld.gov.au). Retrieved 24 December 2021.

• Pink – Bud: pink; Middle ring: yellow opening with pale yellow petals; Outer ring: orange opening with pale or dark pink petals
• White – Bud: cream coloured; Middle ring: yellow opening with light yellow petals; Outer ring: orange or yellow opening with lilac petals
• Pink-edged Red – Bud: pink to reddish pink; Middle ring: orange opening with light yellow to orange petals; Outer ring: orange opening having two pink to red petals
• Red – Bud: blood red; Middle ring: yellow opening with yellow petals; Outer ring: red throat having red petals
• Orange – Bud: orange; Middle ring: yellow to orange opening, yellow petals; Outer ring: orange opening with orange petals

The fruit is a berry-like drupe which turns from green to dark purple when mature. Green unripe fruits are inedible to humans and animals alike. Because of dense patches of hard spikes on their rind, ingestion of them can result in serious damage to the digestive tract. Both seed and vegetative reproduction occur. Up to 12,000 fruits can be produced by each plant.{{cite web |url=http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/parks/lantana.html |title=Lantana camara |year=2008 |access-date=2014-03-27 |archive-date=2015-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150730235554/http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/parks/lantana.html |url-status=dead }}

{{gallery|mode=packed

|Lantana camara trunks.jpg|Trunk of an old, large specimen

|ผกากรอง Lantana camara L (3).jpg|Yellowish flowers are newly opened; magenta flowers are older and have been triggered by pollination to produce more anthocyanins

|Lantana camara 4.jpg|Scarlet flowers on branch in Costa Rica

|Lantana camara 2997.jpg|Orange-flowered specimen

|Lantana camara Flower in Rainforest Fragment Valparai, Tamil Nadu.jpg|Tangerine coloured flower

|লান্টানা.jpg|Pink and yellow specimen in a shrubland

|Lantana Camara FR 2012.jpg|Red-flowered specimen in France

|Lantana camara - Mine çalısı 01.jpg|Pink-edged red flowers in Adana, Turkey

|Lantana camara blanca.jpg|White flowers

|ผกากรอง Lantana camara L (1).jpg|Pink flowers

|Yellow Lantana camara.jpg|Yellow flowers

|ผกากรอง Lantana camara L (4).jpg|Ring of yellow flowers

|Lantana camara in Budva, Montenegro.jpg|

|Lanatana camara 2.jpg|

|Lantana camara common lantana -fruits 01.jpg|Fruits

|Lantana camara 5.jpg|Ripe fruit

|Lantana camara 05 ies.jpg|Close-up of mature fruits

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Due to extensive selective breeding throughout the 17th and 18th centuries for use as an ornamental plant, there are now many different cultivars.

Other common names include Cariaquillo (Boriken, Puerto Rico), Visepo (Zambia),Spanish flag, big-sage (Malaysia), Putush (West Bengal), Kongini (Kerala), Ghaneri घाणेरी (Maharashtra), wild-sage, red-sage, white-sage (Caribbean), korsu wiri or korsoe wiwiri (Suriname), mũkigĩ (Kenya), tickberry (South Africa), Kashi Kothan (Maldives),{{cite book |author=Quentin C. B. Cronk, Janice L. Fuller |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y60B--a5j6gC |title=Plant Invaders: The Threat to Natural Ecosystems |publisher=Springer |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-412-48380-6 |location=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}} West Indian lantana,{{cite web |title=Lantana camara |url=http://www.plantsrescue.com/tag/west-indian-lantana/ |access-date=20 July 2018 |publisher=Plants Rescue}} umbelanterna, and Gu Phool in Assam, and Thirei in Manipur, and Banfada in Nepal.

The name Lantana derives from the Latin name of the wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, the flowers of which closely resemble Lantana.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|9780521866453}} (hardback), {{ISBN|9780521685535}} (paperback). pp 87,230

Camara is derived from an indigenous Brazilian name for this, and several other plants. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/289098 Historiae rerum naturalium Brasiliae Liber I, Caput 4: 5] in: {{aut|Piso, W.}}, Historia naturalis Brasiliae

The native range of Lantana camara is Central and South America; however, it has become naturalised in around 60 tropical and sub-tropical countries worldwide.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fleppc.org/ID_book/lantana%20camara.pdf|title=Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council: Lantana camanara|publisher=Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council|year=2005|author=Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council|access-date=2007-09-19 |archive-date=2018-05-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517223828/http://www.fleppc.org/ID_book/lantana%20camara.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal | last1 = Sanders | first1 = R.W. | year = 2012 | title = Taxonomy of Lantana sect Lantana (Verbenaceae) | journal = Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas | volume = 6 | issue = 2| pages = 403–442 }} It is found frequently in east and southern Africa, where it occurs at altitudes below {{Convert|2000|m|abbr=on}}, and often invades previously disturbed areas such as logged forests and areas cleared for agriculture.{{cite journal |last=Gentle |first=C. B. |year=1974 |title=Lantana camara L. invasions in dry rainforest–open forest ecotones: The role of disturbances associated with fire and cattle grazing |journal=Australian Journal of Ecology |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=298–306 |doi=10.1111/j.1442-9993.1997.tb00675.x}}

L. camara has also spread across the areas of Africa, Southern Europe, such as Spain and Portugal, and also the Middle East, India, tropical Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the US, as well as many Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean islands.{{cite web |date=October 2006 |title=Lantana camara |url=http://www.tropical-biology.org/research/dip/species/Lantana%20camara.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413131038/http://www.tropical-biology.org/research/dip/species/Lantana%20camara.htm |archive-date=2014-04-13 |access-date=2014-03-27 |url-status=dead}}{{cite journal |last=Thaman |first=R. R. |year=2006 |title=Lantana camara: its introduction, dispersal and impact on islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean |journal=Micronesia Journal of the University of Guam |volume=10 |pages=17–39}} It has become a significant weed in Sri Lanka after escaping from the Royal Botanical Gardens in 1926.{{cite report|title=Forest Invasive Species: Country Report |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |url=ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/ae944e/ae944e02.pdf}}{{dead link|date=April 2024}}S. Ranwala, B. Marambe, S. Wijesundara, P. Silva, D. Weerakoon, N. Atapattu, J. Gunawardena, L. Manawadu, G. Gamage, [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257964465_Post-entry_risk_assessment_of_invasive_alien_flora_of_Sri_Lanka_-_present_status_gap_analysis_and_the_most_troublesome_alien_invaders Post-entry risk assessment of invasive alien flora in Sri Lanka-present status, GAP analysis, and the most troublesome alien invaders], Pakistan Journal of Weed Science Research, Special Issue, October, 2012: 863-871. Lantanas were brought to Australia as an ornamental garden plant in 1841, which spread and escaped domestic cultivation and became established in the wild within 20 years.[https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/pest-animals-and-weeds/weeds/widespread-weeds/lantana#:~:text=Lantana%20(Lantana%20camara)%20is%20a,was%20established%20in%20the%20wild. Lantana] NSW Department of Planning and Environment They were brought to India by the British around 200 years ago, which then spread and became invasive there as well.[https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/in-bandipur-the-war-against-lantana/article19566873.ece In Bandipur, the war against Lantana] by The Hindu A national-level monitoring in 2023 found that L. camara has invaded around 50% of the natural areas in India.{{Cite journal |last1=Mungi |first1=Ninad Avinash |last2=Qureshi |first2=Qamar |last3=Jhala |first3=Yadvendradev V. |date=November 2023 |title=Distribution, drivers and restoration priorities of plant invasions in India |journal=Journal of Applied Ecology |volume=60 |issue=11 |pages=2400–2412 |doi=10.1111/1365-2664.14506 |issn=0021-8901|doi-access=free }}

It was introduced into the Philippines from Hawaii as part of an exchange program between the United States and the Philippines; however, it managed to escape and has become naturalized in the islands. It has also been introduced to the whole southern US, from California to North Carolina,{{Cite web|title=Plants Profile for Lantana camara (lantana) |url=https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=LACA2|access-date=2021-03-09|website=plants.usda.gov}} and is considered hardy in US Department of Agriculture zones 10 and 11.{{Cite web |url=https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a523|access-date=March 9, 2021 |title=Lantana camara |website=Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder}}

The range of L. camara is still increasing, shown by the fact that it has invaded many islands on which it was not present in 1974, including the Galapagos Islands, Saipan and the Solomon Islands. There is also evidence that L. camara is still increasing its range in areas where it has been established for many years, such as East Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The ability of L. camara to rapidly colonise areas of land which have been disturbed has allowed it to proliferate in countries where activities such as logging, clearance for agriculture and forest fires are common. In contrast, in countries with large areas of intact primary forest, the distribution of L. camara has been limited.{{cite journal|title=Experimental evidence on the importance of disturbance intensity for invasion of Lantana camara L. in dry rainforest–open forest ecotones in north-eastern NSW, Australia|doi=10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00252-7|volume=109|issue=1–3|journal=Forest Ecology and Management|pages=279–292|year=1998|last1=Duggin|first1=J.A|last2=Gentle|first2=C.B}}

{{gallery|mode=packed

|Antillean crested hummingbird feeding.jpg|Antillean crested hummingbird feeding from specimen

|Black-and-white Mannikin (Lonchura bicolor).jpg|Red-backed mannikin picking flowers

|Cethosia cyane qtl1.jpg|Leopard Lacewing on Lantana camara in the Wilhelma, Stuttgart, Germany

|Butterfly on Lantana - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg|Long-tailed skipper resting on specimen

|Twin lantana camara edit.jpg|Twin Lantana camara 'Patty Wankler' with crab spider waiting for prey

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Birds and other animals eat the seeds, helping spread them over large distances.

{{multiple images

|image1=Lantana camara infestation.jpg

|caption1=A hedge in Sydney that averages a height of {{convert|6|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|image2=Tall Lantana camara.jpg

|caption2=A Lantana within the Sydney hedge that reaches {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}}

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The species is found in a variety of environments, including:

• Agricultural areas
• Forest margins and gaps
• Riparian zones
• Grasslands
• Secondary forest, and
• Beach fronts.

L. camara is rarely found in natural or semi-natural areas of forest, as it is unable to compete with taller trees due to its lack of tolerance for shade. Instead it grows at the forest edge. L. camara can survive in a wide range of climatic conditions, including drought, different soil types, heat, humidity and salt. It is also relatively fire tolerant and can quickly establish itself in recently burnt areas of forest.{{cite journal|title=The invasion of Lantana camara L. in Forty Mile Scrub National Park, north Queensland|doi=10.1111/j.1442-9993.1994.tb00493.x|volume=19|issue=3|journal=Austral Ecology|pages=297–305|year=1994|last1=Fensham|first1=R. J|last2=Fairfax|first2=R. J|last3=Cannell|first3=R. J|bibcode=1994AusEc..19..297F }}

File:Lantana camara tree.jpg]]

L. camara is listed in the IUCN's "List of the world's 100 worst invasive species".{{cite web|url=http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/pdf/100English.pdf|author1=Lowe S.|author2=Browne M.|author3=Boudjelas S.|author4=De Poorter M.|date=2000|title=100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species. A selection from the Global Invasive Species Database|publisher=The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)|access-date=28 March 2022}} L. camara is considered to be a weed in large areas of the Paleotropics where it has established itself. In agricultural areas or secondary forests it can become the dominant understorey shrub, crowding out other native species and reducing biodiversity. The formation of dense thickets of L. camara can significantly slow down the regeneration of forests by preventing the growth of new trees.

In the US, L. camara is considered invasive in tropical areas such as Florida and Hawaii.

In Thailand, some species of Phakakrong are weeds that can be found throughout the country. Most outbreaks were found in Mae Hong Son and Kanchanaburi provinces.

Although L. camara is itself quite resistant to fire, it can change fire patterns in a forest ecosystem by altering the fuel load, causing a buildup of forest fuel, which itself increases the risk of fires spreading to the canopy.{{cite journal|title=The invasive weed Lantana camara increases fire risk in dry rainforest by altering fuel beds|doi=10.1111/j.1365-3180.2011.00869.x |volume=51|issue=5|journal=Weed Research|pages=525–533|year=2011|last1=Berry|first1=Z C|last2=Wevill|first2=K|last3=Curran|first3=T J|bibcode=2011WeedR..51..525B }} This can be particularly destructive in dry, arid areas where fire can spread quickly and lead to the loss of large areas of natural ecosystem.

L. camara reduces the productivity in pasture through the formation of dense thickets, which reduce growth of crops as well as make harvesting more difficult. There are also secondary impacts, including the finding that in Africa, mosquitos which transmit malaria and tsetse flies shelter within the bushes of L. camara.{{Cite journal | author=Okoth J. O. | title=A study of the resting sites of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Newstead) in relation to Lantana camara thickets and coffee and banana plantations in the sleeping sickness epidemic focus, Busoga, Uganda | journal=Uganda Trypanosomiasis Research Organization | volume=8 | year=1987 | pages=57–60 | doi=10.1017/S1742758400006962| doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 | s2cid=87065966 }}

While a study in the Western Ghats, did not find significant impacts of L. camara invasion on a few native plant indicators, many other studies have found substantial impacts of its invasion on various biodiversity indicators.{{Cite web|url = http://eprints.iisc.ernet.in/1977/1/BRT_sanctuary.pdf|title = Effect of weeds Lantana camara and Chromelina odorata growth on the species diversity, regeneration and stem density of tree and shrub layer in BRT sanctuary}}{{Cite journal |last1=Rastogi |first1=Rajat |last2=Qureshi |first2=Qamar |last3=Shrivastava |first3=Aseem |last4=Jhala |first4=Yadvendradev V. |date=2023-03-01 |title=Multiple invasions exert combined magnified effects on native plants, soil nutrients and alters the plant-herbivore interaction in dry tropical forest |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112723000142 |journal=Forest Ecology and Management |volume=531 |pages=120781 |doi=10.1016/j.foreco.2023.120781 |issn=0378-1127}}

There are many reasons why L. camara has been so successful as an invasive species; however, the primary factors which have allowed it to establish itself are:

1. Wide dispersal range made possible by birds and other animals that eat its drupes
2. Less prone to being eaten by animals due to toxicity
3. Tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions
4. Increase in logging and habitat modification, which has been beneficial to L. camara as it prefers disturbed habitats{{Cite journal |last1=Mungi |first1=Ninad Avinash |last2=Qureshi |first2=Qamar |last3=Jhala |first3=Yadvendradev V. |date=2020-09-01 |title=Expanding niche and degrading forests: Key to the successful global invasion of Lantana camara (sensu lato) |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |volume=23 |pages=e01080 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01080 |issn=2351-9894|doi-access=free }}
5. Historical hybridization between various species and varieties that helped L. camara adapt to novel environments.
6. Production of toxic chemicals which inhibit competing plant species
7. Extremely high seed production (12,000 seeds from each plant per year){{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/publications/guidelines/wons/pubs/l-camara.pdf |title=Weed Management Guide – Lantana |access-date=March 24, 2014}}

Effective management of invasive L. camara in the long term will require a reduction in activities that create degraded habitats. Maintaining functioning (healthy) ecosystems is key to preventing invasive species from establishing themselves and out-competing native fauna and flora. If the area is not very large, use the method of clearing and digging out the roots. Chemicals may be used for disposal. In some areas, natural Phakarang trees are dug up and bred to become beautiful ornamental plants.

Insects and other biocontrol agents have been implemented with varying degrees of success in an attempt to control L. camara. It was the first weed ever subjected to biological control; however, none of the programs have been successful despite 36 control agents being used across 33 regions.{{cite web |title=Management Information |url=http://www.issg.org/database/species/management_info.asp?si=56&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN |access-date=March 24, 2014 |publisher=Global Invasive Species Database}}

The lack of success using biological control in this case is most likely due to the many hybrid forms of L. camara, as well as its large genetic diversity which makes it difficult for the control agents to target all plants effectively. A recent study in India has shown some results around biological control of this plant using tingid bugs.{{Cite news |title=Karnataka gets nature's gift to fight deadly weed - Times of India |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-gets-natures-gift-to-fight-deadly-weed/articleshow/60149200.cms |access-date=2017-08-21}}

Mechanical control of L. camara involves physically removing the plants. Physical removal can be effective but is labour-intensive and expensive, therefore removal is usually only appropriate in small areas or at the early stages of an infestation. Another method of mechanical control is to use fire treatment, followed by revegetation with native species.

Using herbicides to manage L. camara is very effective but also expensive, prohibiting its use in many poorer countries where L. camara is well established. The most effective way of chemically treating plant species is to first mow the area, then spray the area with a weed-killer, although this may have serious environmental consequences.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Lantana camara is known to be toxic to livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and goats.{{cite book |last=Ross |first=Ivan. A. |year=1999 |title=Medicinal plants of the world |url=https://onprinciplealone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Medicinal-Plants-of-the-World-vol.3.pdf |publisher=Humana Press |page=187 |access-date=2014-03-27 |archive-date=2014-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414144447/https://onprinciplealone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Medicinal-Plants-of-the-World-vol.3.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DzTaTRqJTjgC |first=D. |last=Burns |title=Storey's Horse-Lover's Encyclopedia: an English & Western A-to-Z Guide |publisher=Storey Publishing |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-58017-317-9 |page=302}} The active substances causing toxicity in grazing animals are pentacyclic triterpenoids called Lantadenes, which result in liver damage and photosensitivity.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CpqzhHc072AC |title=Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances: Foods, Fungi, Medicinal Herbs, Plants, and Venomous Animals |first=D. G. |last=Barceloux |publisher=Wiley |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-471-72761-3 |pages=867–8}} L. camara also excretes allelopathic chemicals, which reduce the growth of surrounding plants by inhibiting germination and root elongation.{{Cite journal | author=Ahmed. R | title=Allelopathic effects of Lantana camara on germination and growth behavior of some agricultural crops in Bangladesh | journal=Journal of Forestry Research | volume=18 | issue=4 | year=2007 | pages=201–304 | doi=10.1007/s11676-007-0060-6 | s2cid=61760 }}

The toxicity of L. camara to humans is undetermined, with several studies suggesting that ingesting berries can be toxic to humans, such as a study by O. P. Sharma which states "Green unripe fruits of the plant are toxic to humans".{{Cite journal | author=Sharma O. P. | title=A review of the hepatotoxic plant Lantana camara | journal=Critical Reviews in Toxicology | volume=37 | issue=4 | year=2007 | pages=313–352 | doi=10.1080/10408440601177863 | pmid=17453937| s2cid=23993698 }} North Carolina State University's Extension Gardener website states that ingestion of the flowers, fruits, and leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and liver failure, while the leaves can cause contact dermatitis.{{Cite web|title=Lantana camara (Common Lantana, Lantana, Red Sage, Shrub Verbena, Yellow Sage) {{!}} North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox|url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lantana-camara/|access-date=2021-03-09|website=plants.ces.ncsu.edu}} A field guide by the US Department of the Army says the plant can even be fatal.{{Cite book |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing & United States Department of the Army |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |page=131 |oclc=277203364}} Contrarily, some studies have claimed that the species poses no risk to humans when eaten, and is in fact edible when ripe.Herzog et al. (1996), Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge & Libreros Ferla (2000), TAMREC (2000){{cite journal|author=Carstairs, S. D. |title=Ingestion of Lantana camara is not associated with significant effects in children |journal=Pediatrics |volume=126 |issue=6 |pages=e1585–8|date=December 2010 |doi=10.1542/peds.2010-1669 |pmid=21041281|s2cid=36904122 |display-authors=etal}}

Lantana camara stalks have been used in the construction of furniture, such as chairs and tables;{{cite book | last =Khanna | first =L. S. |author2=Prakash, R. | title =Theory and Practice of silvicultural Systems | publisher =International Book Distributions | year =1983 }} however, the main uses have historically been medicinal and ornamental.

Studies conducted in India have found that Lantana leaves can display antimicrobial, fungicidal and insecticidal properties.{{Cite journal |author=Chavan, S.R. |author2=Nikam, S.T. |title=Investigation of Lantana camara Linn (Verbenaceae) leaves for larvicidal activity |year=1982 |journal=Bulletin of Haffkine Institute |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=21–22 |url=https://eurekamag.com/research/005/747/005747317.php }} L. camara has also been used in traditional herbal medicines for treating a variety of ailments, including cancer, skin itches, leprosy, chicken pox, measles, asthma and ulcers.

L. camara extract has shown to reduce gastric ulcer development in rats.{{cite journal |author=Sathish, R.|title=Antiulcerogenic activity of Lantana camara leaves on gastric and duodenal ulcers in experimental rats |journal=J Ethnopharmacol |volume=134 |issue=1 |pages=195–7 |date=March 2011 |pmid=21129476 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2010.11.049 |display-authors=etal}}

Lantana camara has been grown specifically for use as an ornamental plant since Dutch explorers first brought it to Europe from the New World. Its ability to last for a relatively long time without water, and the fact that it does not have many pests or diseases which affect it, have contributed to it becoming a common ornamental plant. L. camara also attracts butterflies and birds and is frequently used in butterfly gardens. As an ornamental, L. camara is often cultivated indoors, or in a conservatory, in cool climates, but can also thrive in a garden with sufficient shelter.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/458.shtml |work=BBC Plant Finder |title=Lantana}}

Many butterfly species feed on the nectar of L. camara. Papilio homerus, the largest butterfly in the western hemisphere, is known to feed on the nectar of the flowers as an opportunistic flower feeder.{{Cite journal |last1=Lehnert |first1=Matthew S. |last2=Kramer |first2=Valerie R. |last3=Rawlins |first3=John E. |last4=Verdecia |first4=Vanessa |last5=Daniels |first5=Jaret C. |date=2017-07-10 |title=Jamaica's Critically Endangered Butterfly: A Review of the Biology and Conservation Status of the Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius) |journal=Insects |volume=8 |issue=3 |page=68 |doi=10.3390/insects8030068 |pmid=28698508 |pmc=5620688 |doi-access=free}} A jumping spider, Evarcha culicivora, has an association with L. camara. They consume the nectar for food and preferentially use these plants as a location for courtship.{{cite journal |last1=Cross |first1=Fiona R. |last2=Jackson |first2=Robert R. |title=Odour-mediated response to plants by Evarcha culicivora, a blood-feeding jumping spider from East Africa |journal=New Zealand Journal of Zoology |date=2009 |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=75–80 |doi=10.1080/03014220909510142}}

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59. ผกากรอง. (n.d.). http://clgc.agri.kps.ku.ac.th/resources/weed/lantana.html#:~:text=%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%98%E0%B8%B8%E0%B9%8C%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%99,%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%89

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• {{cite web |title=Lantana Lantana camara |work=Weeds of National Significance |publisher=Weeds Australia |url=http://www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/lantana/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140127165604/http://www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/lantana/ |archive-date=2014-01-27 }}
• {{cite web |title=Lantana Control Tips |work=Weeds of National Significance |publisher=Weeds Australia |url=http://www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/lantana/docs/66_Lantana_Control_Tips_2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180013/http://www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/lantana/docs/66_Lantana_Control_Tips_2.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}
• [http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Lantana%20camara.pdf USDA Forest service brochure]
• [http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/iffn/country/in/in_8.htm Invasion of Exotic Weeds in the Natural Forests of Tropical India due to Forest Fire – A Threat to Biodiversity.] International Forest Fire News. 2002.
• {{AfricanPlants|Lantana camara}}

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camara

Category:Flora of Central America

Category:Flora of the Caribbean

Category:Flora of Colombia

Category:Flora of Mexico

Category:Flora of Venezuela

Category:Garden plants of Central America

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Category:Plants that can bloom all year round

Category:Flora naturalised in Australia