Wild Sage, Lantana Verbena
Lantana camara
Family: Verbenaceae
What it is like
A species of flowering plant native to American tropics, Lantana camara or otherwise known in various common names such as wild sage, red sage, big sage, white sage, tick berry, Lantana verbena, and shrub sage is an invasive, small, perennial shrub growing around 2m tall forming dense thickets. The flowers of L. camara are small and tubular, and arranged in clusters in terminal areas stems. Colors vary from yellow, red, white, pink, and orange. The leaves are broadly ovate, opposite, and simple, and exhibit strong odor the crushed. The leaves and seeds are toxic. Leaves are used to make tea. The berry-like drupe, dark purple or black fruits are eaten when fully ripe. Medicinally, the plant has antimicrobial, fungicidal, insecticidal, and nematocidal properties. Essential oil obtained from the plant is used for the treatment of skin itches, wounds, leprosy, and scabies. The root is used for influenza, cough, mumps, fever, malaria, toothache, headache, etc. The flowers are used for hemoptysis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Conditions like constipation, high blood pressure, dermatitis, eczema, measles, urethral inflammation, colds, and bronchitis among others can also be treated using plant parts of L. camara. Due to its extensive root system, the plant is also planted for soil erosion control and sometimes grown as a hedge.
Lantana camara is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 1.8 m (6ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. The flowers are pollinated by Butterflies, Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 1.8
Where it is found
Mainly a weed of plantation crops and pastures, it is found in relatively open and disturbed, not too moist habitats from sea-level to elevations of 1,700 metres.
Northern S. America - Venezuela and Colombia, through Central America to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Aruba; Bahamas; Cayman Islands; Cuba; Dominican Republic; Haiti; Jamaica; Honduras; Puerto Rico; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Ecuador; Nicaragua; Guatemala; El Salvador; Costa Rica; Belize; Mexico; Guyana; Panama; Colombia; Virgin Islands, U.S.; Virgin Islands, British; Brazil, Africa, Asia, Australia, Bermuda, Burma, Central America*, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba*, East Africa, East Timor, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guiana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Kenya, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Lesser Antilles*, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Mexico*, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Norfolk Island, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies*, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
The aromatic leaves are used to make a tea. The ripe black fruits are eaten in handfuls, especially by children as a snack. The sweet tasting drupaceous, fleshy, ovoid fruits are purple or black when fully ripe and about 5 mm long. Some reports mention the toxicity of the unripe fruits.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 4
The plant is often used in domestic medicine and research carried out mainly in India has shown it to contain a number of compounds with medicinal activity. The leaves contain 0.2% of an essential oil. Extracts have shown antimicrobial, fungicidal, insecticidal and nematicidal activity. The dried flowers contain 0.07% essential oil comprised mainly of caryophyllene-like bicyclic terpene (80%) and l,a-phellandrene (10-12%). The bark contains lantanine, 0.08%. Verbascoside, which possesses antimicrobial, immunosuppressive and antitumor activities, has been isolated from the plant. Lantanoside, linaroside and camarinic acid have been isolated and are being investigated as potential nematocides. Lantana essential oil is sometimes used for the treatment of skin itches, as an antiseptic for wounds, and externally for leprosy and scabies. It is applied as a poultice on rheumatic joints. The root is sweet and bitter tasting, refrigerant, antifebrile. A decoction is used to treat influenza, cough, mumps, incessant high fever, malaria, cervical lymph node tuberculosis, asthma, toothache, headache, inflammation, gonorrhoea and leucorrhoea. The flowers are sweet tasting, mildly cooling and haemostatic. A decoction of the dried flowers is used in the treatment of haemoptysis and pulmonary tuberculosis. The leaves are aromatic with a minty taste, they have a cooling nature, are antiphlogistic, anti-dermatosic, diaphoretic, febrifuge, pectoral, stimulant, tonic and vulnerary. An infusion of the leaves and flowering tops is used in the treatment of fevers, constipation, tuberculosis, catarrh and bronchitis. Combined with the leaves of Cymbopogon citratus, they are used as an infusion to treat colds, high blood pressure and malarial fever. Externally, the leaves and stems are used as a wash to treat dermatitis, eczema, pruritus, measles and chickenpox rashes etc. They are applied as a poultice to treat sprains, wounds and contusions. As a douche, they are used to treat inflammations of the uterus. A decoction of the bark is used as a treatment for fevers.
Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.
Antibacterial: Kills bacteria.
Antidermatosic: Prevents or cures skin complaints.
Antifungal: An agent that inhibits or destroys fungi. Used in the treatment of various fungal problems such as candida.
Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.
Antiphlogistic: Reduces inflammation.
Antipyretic: Treats fevers. See Febrifuge.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Antitumor: Preventing, or effective against, tumors, it is used in the treatment of cancer. Probably synonymous with Cytotoxic.
Aromatic: Having an agreeable odour and stimulant qualities.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Leprosy: Used to treat leprosy - a chronic bacterial infection of the skin and superficial nerves (in the skin) caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
Malaria: Treats malaria - an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of mosquitos.
Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.
Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Refrigerant: Cools the body.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.
Other
Rating: 3
Agroforestry Uses: The plant has an extensive root system and is often planted for erosion control. The plant responds well to trimming and is often grown as a hedge. In parts of East Africa, in locations where it is not weedy, it has effectively been used as a live fence. In some mountainous areas (e.g. in Tanzania and India) the presence of L. camara was once considered a good ground cover preventing erosion. The plant provides an abundance of organic matter which can be used as mulch material. Other Uses: The use of lantana extracts as potential biocides has been suggested. For example, aqueous leachate at 1 - 3% can kill water hyacinth, a troublesome weed in many tropical countries. Its application as a herbicide would depend on the size of the water bodies being treated and the cost of extraction of the leachate. Leaf extracts have strong insecticidal and antimicrobial activity, for example, storing potatoes, Solanum tuberosum, with leaves of L. camara almost eliminates damage by the potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella. The stems of lantana, if treated by the sulphate process, can be used to produce pulp for paper suitable for writing and printing. However it is hard to harvest, so is likely to be uneconomical. The roots of lantana contain a substance that may possibly be used for rubber manufacture, although the economic viability of production has not been examined. The plant is utilized as firewood. The twigs and stems serve as useful fuel for cooking and heating in many developing countries, although it is less important than other fuel sources such as windrows, woodlots or natural bush. Straw from L. camara mixed with dung for biogas production. Fodder. Seeds as a source of food for lambs. Ornamental. Pot plant.
Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.
Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
Fungicide: Arrests the growth of, or kills, fungi.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Herbicide: Plants or plant extracts that can inhibit the growth of other plants.
Houseplant: A plant grown indoors for decorative purposes.
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Mulch: Used for covering the ground to conserve the nutrients in the soil.
Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.
Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.
Teeth: Plants used to clean and care for the teeth.
Ground Cover: Ground Cover
Hedge: Hedge
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Grows in a wide variety of habitats in the tropical and subtropical zones. Under temperate climes, it has been, and still is, widely used as a glasshouse ornamental and a pot plant. It has succeeded in areas where the annual rainfall is around 750mm, though is then usually found along creek lines. It is also found in tropical areas receiving 3,000mm of rainfall per year, provided that the soils are sufficiently well drained. The plant is tolerant of high temperatures, but seldom occurs where temperatures frequently fall below 5°c. Some varieties can withstand minor frosts, provided these are infrequent; prolonged freezing temperatures kill aerial woody branches and cause defoliation. Succeeds in a wide range of soils, preferably well-drained. Succeeds in poor soils. Grows well in dry areas but also present in wetter habitats. Grows best in open, unshaded situations, but tolerates moderate shade. Locally becoming an aggressive and pernicious weed. This thorny shrub forms dense understorey vegetation that crowds out and inhibits establishment of other species. Allelopathic substances are produced by shoots and roots which inhibit germination and growth of other plants. The plant is apt to form dense thickets, spreads very quickly, with one plant producing as many as 12,000 seeds a year. At some sites, infestations have been so persistent that they have completely stalled the regeneration of rainforest for three decades. Plants respond well to cutting back, able to resprout even from severe and repeated cutting back. The plants can tolerate all but the hottest forest fires, quickly resprouting from the base. Stems and leaves emit an unpleasant aroma when crushed. The scent is similar to blackcurrants. Flowering Time: Early summer, Early fall, Early spring, Early winter, Late summer, Late fall, Late spring, Late winter, Mid summer, Mid fall, Mid spring, Mid winter (Blooms repeatedly). Bloom Color: Orange, Pink, Red, Salmon, White, Yellow (Pink Magenta (Pink-Purple) Red Orange Bright Yellow Purple ) (red, orange, yellow). Spacing: 36-48 in. (90-120 cm).
Propagating it: Seed - Cuttings
Best place to grow:
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 8-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist, wet
Things to keep in mind
The leaves and seeds are toxic. The unripe, green berries cause vomiting, diarrhoea, dilated pupils and laboured respiration if ingested. The leaves may cause dermatitis. (All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested )
Introduced to most of the tropics and subtropics as a hedge plant and reported as extremely weedy and invasive in many countries. It is generally deleterious to biodiversity and has been reported as an agricultural weed resulting in large economic losses in a number of countries. In addition to this, it increases the risk of fire, is poisonous to livestock and is a host for numerous pests and diseases. L. camara is difficult to control. In Australia, India and South Africa aggressive measures to eradicate L. camara over the last two centuries have been largely unsuccessful, and the invasion trajectory has continued upwards despite control measures. This species has been the target of biological control programmes for over a century, with successful control only being reported in a few instances.
Its other names
Local names
Wild Sage, Lantana Verbena, Shrub Sage, Yellow Sage, Abelwinyo, Aruppu, Dieng-sohpang-khlieh, Galphusia, Ghaneri, Imomwa-ajele, Jerenga, Jhurmuta, Kamkung, Latina, Magwagwa, Masino kanda, Maviamkuku, Mbarapati, Mjasasa, Mshomoro, Mushomoro, Pakakrong, Red sage bush, Tantani, Tek-tagwari, Ubuhobe besukhiwa, Uni, Wild sage, Yeregna genfo, aripple, bahama tea, bandera española, caburá caá, camará, camará de dos colores, cambara, cambará, chumbinho, cinco negritos, english sage bush, hierba de cristo, lantana, lantanier, largeleaf lantana, masino kanda, polung, qi jie mei, red sage bush, shrub verbena|gandapana / rata hinguru, siete negritos, sitaji phul, sudu gandapana, thangbua, utywala bentaka, west indian lantana, wild sage, wood sage, yellow sage, yerba de la cruz.
Synonyms
Camara vulgaris Benth. Lantana aculeata L. Lantana annua C.B.Clarke Lantana antillana Raf. Lantana a