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Is this Lantana native?

9 years ago

I planted this lantana a few years ago, not realizing it may not be native to N. Texas, where I live. Since I planted it, I've got three others that have sprouted from birds sitting on my fence. Please help me determine whether it's native or not as I'll pull it out asap if it's not. I read non-native lantana has truncated leaves, but I honestly can't tell if these leaves are truncated or not. Thanks.

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Comments (6)

sowngrow (8a)
Original Author
9 years ago
Here's a better photo of the leaves. They look truncated to me, but I'm not certain.
agkistrodon
9 years ago
Hello,
Don't know anything about lantanas but found this link. I'm guessing yours is not native because the flowers are all yellow?

Maybe this will help.

Here is a link that might be useful: texas lantana
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Mia, did you find that purple blooming one indoors with the annual types at TLC? I didn't shop in the annuals area inside to check at the Midnight Madness Sale. I think I'll stop back by there Sunday and see if they still have any. The name was changed to Lantana urticoides but I always have to look up the spelling for that. They just don't seem sell it anywhere, I have checked and checked. I might have to try seeds from Native American Seed. Sandy, I have a long 6 ft wide strip along the entire west side of my back yard where I have been digging out vinca major. This is where I want to plant the Lantana and aggressive is exactly what I do need in this situation because I want to out-aggress the remaining vinca that is on the neighbors side I can't take out. I am thinking of it as the Lantana vs. Vinca War, fighting thug with thug. The odds are in his favor on the vinca because he is in full shade and I am in sun and downhill and thats where the vinca is dead set on heading. I end up with ugly tangled vines that seem to grow 5 inches per day with wilted leaves every summer that I continually trip over. I have been whacking back any new vines every other week to keep it back since early spring. So the "thuggier" the better in this situation. This is the highest spot in my yard so its hot, dry and hard to keep watered. Lantana seemed perfect. Is that invasive one sold as L. horrida that you are talking about yellow/orange or is it the pink/yellow one? Some people call the pink/yellow blooming one L. horrida but its L. camara. Horrida is always orange and yellow. The wild Lantana camara one is considered noxious and invasive in some southern states, or so I read. Rae This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Thu, Jul 4, 13 at 14:24
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I've now got 4 seeds germinated. bostedo, its hardy here, if its a real cold winter its only root hardy but they don't reach the size they would in south Texas. Info is just plain hard to get period on L. horrida. Thats why I am reporting my seed results. I read everything there was on GW and online. The best help was the bird droppings information I got from Plantmaven along with the various trial sowings done by Perylene. The low growing yellow hydrid ground cover one is hardy too and so is the wild L. camara which is hardy all the way up to the north top of the state and probably into Kansas. My grandmother had this growing when I was a kid close to the Kansas border. There's hybrid ones I see around the city that have been there for years, I don't know the types but I understand if they are, they have L. horrida in their genetics. The 'Dallas Red' is being tested but the nursery thinks this one may be hardy too if its protected. Perylene, I hope you give a report on that pincushion daisy. I want to know if it smells as good as they say, I thought it would look real good growing among my bluestem grasses. I had the Cowpen Daisy on my list too. That is one long bloom period plus it will take quite a bit of shade and I need some color for that situation. This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Wed, Jul 24, 13 at 19:26
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wantonamara Z8 CenTex
9 years ago
I have heard that L. horida who its supposed to be a native is not. It has just been introduced so long ago and naturalized that people think it is a native. Even the botanist disagree on this one. I am not saying it is or it is not , since I am no authorityÃ¢ÂÂ¦ I guess I am doing a "just saying" act..
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
9 years ago
Agree with adidas about the color. If they're not "fading" to orange, then almost certain l. camara or its hybrid. Not the almost sterile 'New Gold' either since you've already gotten several volunteers. Identifying by leaf shape seems tough with so many intentional/natural crosses. Photo shows leaf of l. urticoides (fka l. horrida) on the left and l. camara x 'New Gold' on the right... 'Dallas Red' is about the same. Maybe an expert could tell; but while this Texas lantana leaf looks a bit more ovate, there's so much minor variation in leaf shape on each plant, I'd certainly not be able to tell one from another in a random sample. Maybe there are more differences between the pure l. urticoides, l. camara, and l. montevidensis lines.

wantonamara, Could the question about l. urticoides being a "native" have more to do with its U.S. distribution? It is fairly distinct from the more tropical species in color and hardiness. Also, it has a long history of it being considered native to Texas and Mexico. However, the PLANTS database now shows it as being "native" from California to the Carolinas (skipping Georgia), which just seems wrong.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lantana urticoides native(?) status in PLANTS
dbarron
9 years ago
And given that things do reseed, it might be some degree 90% urticoides and 10% camara (back some generations), to give you color variation.
I tend to believe no lantana was probably native pre-european settlement, but I am certainly no authority on this matter.

In general, I think it provides nectar to hummingbirds and butterflies, and if not noticed to spread invasively, I'd say enjoy it (I do). It probably has less impact on the landscape than a yard full of dandelions (admittedly goldfinches LOVE those).
sowngrow (8a)
Original Author
9 years ago
The flowers are yellow and orange. The lighting in the photo, wasn't great. Thank you all for your input. It's sincerely appreciated!

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