• Considered Invasive by Native Plant Society of Texas
• Poisonous berries if not fully ripe
• Suppress nearby plants

• Category: Information Only

Often called simply “Texas Lantana” in older landscapes, Lantana camara is the tall-growing lantana commonly seen along roadsides, abandoned homesteads, fence lines, and older gardens throughout the South. Unlike the more restrained native Texas lantanas, this species can quickly form dense, woody thickets reaching 5–6 feet tall and wide. Its clusters of pink, yellow, orange, and multicolored blooms attract butterflies and provide long-lasting summer color, which helped make it a popular landscape plant for decades.

Unfortunately, this beauty comes with serious ecological concerns. Lantana camara aggressively spreads by seed, often carried by birds into natural areas where it crowds out native vegetation and reduces biodiversity. In warm climates such as Central and South Texas, it can naturalize rapidly and become difficult to remove once established. Its thorny, tangled growth habit creates dense colonies that shade out native wildflowers and grasses important to pollinators and wildlife. NPSOT also claims it releases a chemical in the area to also prohibit nearby plant growth. 

Another issue is its tendency to hybridize with native lantana species, potentially weakening local native plant populations over time. In addition, the foliage and unripe berries are considered toxic if consumed by livestock, pets, or people. While mature birds often eat the ripe berries without issue, the plant itself is generally regarded as undesirable in responsible native landscaping programs.

Today, many gardeners and restoration groups encourage replacing invasive Lantana camara with true Texas native lantanas such as Lantana urticoides, Lantana horrida, or sterile modern cultivars that do not spread aggressively. Though still commonly found in older landscapes due to its toughness and drought tolerance, invasive lantana is increasingly viewed as a plant to avoid — and in sensitive natural areas, one that should be actively removed to protect native ecosystems.