Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    


Marcus, Joseph A. (Austin, TX)

Lantana urticoides Hayek

Texas lantana, Calico bush, West Indian shrub-verbena

Verbenaceae (Verbena Family)

Synonyms: Lantana horrida

USDA Symbol: laur2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A spreading shrub, much branched from the ground upward, branches sometimes with prickles. Frequent in brushy places and in woodlands. Bark light gray to light brown, tending to flake off. Young twigs nearly square in cross section, covered with short hairs visible under a 10x hand lens. Leaves opposite, up to 2 1/2 inches long, broadly ovate, pointed at the tip, flattened at the base, upper surface rough to the touch; margins coarsely toothed, teeth broad, pointed or rounded. Flowers colorful, red, orange, and yellow, tubular with four flared lobes; in dense, rounded clusters with a leafy bract subtending each flower, at the ends of long paired stems (peduncles) usually extending beyond the leaves, appearing from April to October. Fruit round, fleshy, dark blue to black.

This species is a member of the verbena family (family Verbenaceae), which includes about 75 genera and 3,000 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees, mostly of tropical and warm temperate regions. Among them, teak is a highly prized furniture wood, and Vervain, Lantana, Lippia or Frog Fruit, and Chase Tree or Vitex are grown as ornamentals.

 

From the Image Gallery

View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Size Class: 3-6 ft.
Leaf Shape: Ovate
Fruit Type: Drupe
Fruit Color: Black

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AZ , CA , FL , LA , MS , NM , NC , SC , TX
Native Distribution: Throughout TX, except the n.w., & adjacent Mex.; introduced elsewhere
Native Habitat: Fields, thickets, swamps, rich sandy woods, scrub, gravelly hills, flats. Chaparral and roadsides, almost throughout Texas. Well-drained sand, loam, clay, caliche. Fields; thickets; sandy woods; gravelly hillsides
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Poor, well-drained soils.
Conditions Comments: Lantana provides summer color. In winter, some gardeners prune back lantana to keep the plants from getting too large. The stems become thorny especially with age, so caution is necessary when cutting them back. The blue-black fruit clusters are poisonous. Used as a low to medium, flowering ground cover for dry, exposed, poor sites. Crinkly leaves give off a sharp aroma when touched and they can cause a skin rash. Mature plants tend to form large mounds that may be separated into smaller plants in the winter.
Texas comments: Lantana provides summer color. It can be used as a low to medium, flowering ground cover for dry, exposed, poor sites. It is often pruned back to keep the plants from getting too large. The stems become thorny especially with age, so caution is necessary when cutting them back. The blue-black fruit clusters are poisonous. Crinkly leaves give off a sharp aroma when touched and they can cause a skin rash.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Attracts butterflies. Deer-proof.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Seed Collection: Collect seeds as soon as the fruit has filled out and turned dark. Air dry with pulp on or clean before storage. Store in sealed, refrigerated containers.
Seed Treatment: Not Available
Commercially Avail: yes
Please support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.

PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Lantana urticoides (West indian shrubverbena) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Lantana montevidensis (trailing shrubverbena)

Find Seed or Plants

Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: Hi.. I live in Southwest Austin and I am looking for a shrub that I can plant against the back of my house, which faces the north. I want something native, fairly low maintenance and not too large, as I would like them to be under the windows. I have several oaks in my backyard I get part-shade/part-sun. Thanks, Cindi
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: I live in San Antonio. I'm faced with a dilemma. I've got mature native pecans. In the summer they provide beautiful full shade. However, in the winter and even into the late spring, my yard is in full blazing sun. Since pecans leaf out so much later than all other trees, this full blazing sun lasts into the late spring. This is a real dilemma for shade loving plants. However, the summer shade presents a problem for sun loving plants. The problem is worse in the spring, when it is getting hot What can I plant that will bloom at least in early spring, or at a time before my pecans leaf out. This year, I planted Hinkley's Columbine, but it ended up rotting. I don't think it is well adapted to San Antonio. The appearance of the sun loving plants under the shade doesn't bother me. It is the shade loving plants under the blazing sun that suffer. I was thinking of possibly Salvia coccinia? It seems like it blooms as soon as the the last frost. I've also considered Pavonia. (Although some of these plants may not bloom in the summer shade, I don't think it will "hurt" the plant to be in summer shade.) Are there any other spring blooming plants that do well in sun, but can tolerate summer shade?
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: I live in Driftwood and am looking for flowering, deer-resistant plants for the northern side of my house; however the house turn just enough to the west that the flowerbed receives about 3 hours of afternoon sun (just enough to really cook them about August). Do you have any suggestions?
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: My wife and I want to take a section of our front lawn that is currently in Bermuda grass and plant some native perennials with lots of flowers. The area will be a quarter-circle in a corner of the lawn with the 2 straight sides approximately 8-10 feet long. Three related questions, what would be the best way (ecological acceptable and good for the coming bed) to get rid of the Bermuda grass. What would be the best method of improving the soil, it is typical clay for Round Rock, Texas. Third what would be some good plant choices. The site gets sun until late-mid to late afternoon.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: Good day, I am searching for a list of native Texas flowers (preferably perennials) for a flower garden. Thank you.
click here to view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Lantana urticoides in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Lantana urticoides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lantana urticoides

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-06-22
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back