# Button Sage (*Lantana involucrata*) Button Sage is a cheerful little shrub with bright flowers that attract butterflies and bees. It loves sunny spots and can grow in gardens or wild areas, adding color to nature. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Button Sage](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lantana_involucrata.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mason Brock ( Masebrock ), Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lantana_involucrata.jpg) ## Appearance The Button Sage has small, clustered flowers that are typically white or pale lavender, sometimes with a yellow center. Its rough, oval leaves emit a strong citrusy scent when crushed. This bushy shrub forms a rounded shape. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Verbenaceae - **Genus:** Lantana ## Interesting facts - Crush its leaves, and you'll smell a strong, zesty citrus fragrance! - Despite being called 'sage,' it's actually related to vervain, not true sage! - Its tiny flowers grow in tight bundles, resembling little buttons! - This tough plant can even grow right on rocky beaches in sunny places! ## Special abilities - **Drought Buster:** Its deep roots help Button Sage thrive in dry, sandy soils, surviving long periods without much water. - **Pollinator Magnet:** Button Sage has tiny, fragrant flowers that act like a beacon, attracting many butterflies and bees for pollination. - **Scented Shield:** Button Sage's rough, scented leaves deter hungry herbivores, protecting the plant from being eaten. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-200 cm - **Spread:** 100-200 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Year-round in warm climates, otherwise spring to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Feeds on nectar and moves pollen. - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and carries pollen to other flowers. - **Eats:** [Blue-gray Gnatcatcher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-gray-gnatcatcher) (*Polioptila caerulea*) — Feeds on ripe berries, helping to spread seeds. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Button Sage? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Button Sage? 100-200 cm ### How wide does Button Sage spread? 100-200 cm ### How big are the flowers on Button Sage? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Button Sage bloom? Year-round in warm climates, otherwise spring to fall ### Is Button Sage edible? No ### Is Button Sage toxic? Moderate ### What is Button Sage's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Curry Hammock State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/curry-hammock-state-park) — Florida, US · State Park - [Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bill-baggs-cape-florida-state-park) — Florida, US · State Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Button Sage: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-sage)