Cheerful Lantana Camara

I’ve had it for a few years in my garden without knowing its name… till I found it last night! J

I found them growing in a shrub of 2-3 feet high and can get quite unruly. I first planted them many years ago in my front yard because I love the attractive yellow color. They have aromatic flower cluster that comes in orange, pink, red, white, purple or mixture but I chose only pure yellow.

I have neighbors and passers-by stopping their car to admire the attractive bright yellow florets. It brings load of cheerfulness, just too bad it didn’t bring out the poet in them!

Lantana Camara, generally is very hardy. Their stem can be prickly and the wood is tough and durable. I understand from Wikipedia that in India, they used the tough wood in handicraft for wickerwork.

Trimming the shrub every 3 months, getting rid of dried leaves and twigs, will make way for new re-growth. I noticed that there’s always some butterflies, beetles or some birds hovering over the florets. In this tropical hot & humid climate, moderate watering daily, you will be continuously rewarded with more blooms and more smiles!