# Texas lantana (*Lantana urticoides*) Texas lantana is a colorful shrub that loves sunny places. It has bright flowers that attract butterflies and bees, making gardens look cheerful and lively. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Texas lantana](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lantana_urticoides_%28or_horrida%29_%2811628267034%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lantana_urticoides_%28or_horrida%29_%2811628267034%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Texas lantana has rough, dark green leaves and vibrant flower clusters that change color. Its small, tubular flowers open yellow, then often mature to orange, red, or even pink within the same cluster, creating a multi-colored display. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Verbenaceae - **Genus:** Lantana ## Interesting facts - Its tiny flowers burst with nectar, a buffet for hungry insects! - The leaves feel like sandpaper, a clever trick to deter nibbling animals! - This plant is so tough it thrives in hot, rocky spots where others wilt! - While birds eat its berries, they are a big no-no for humans to touch or taste! ## Special abilities - **Color-Changing Blooms:** Texas lantana can change its flower colors after pollination, signaling to insects which flowers still have nectar to offer. - **Drought Defender:** Texas lantana has deep roots that help it find water in dry soil, allowing it to survive hot, sunny conditions. - **Chemical Guard:** Texas lantana produces chemicals in its leaves that taste bitter to animals, helping to protect it from being eaten. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-150 cm - **Spread:** 50-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — drinks nectar and carries pollen to other plants - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects sweet nectar and yellow pollen ## Traits - [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. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [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. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [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:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat any part of the plant, as some parts can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Texas lantana? 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 Texas lantana? 50-150 cm ### How wide does Texas lantana spread? 50-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on Texas lantana? 2-3 cm ### When does Texas lantana bloom? Spring to fall ### Is Texas lantana edible? No ### Is Texas lantana toxic? Mild ### What is Texas lantana's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Brunswick Old Town Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brunswick-old-town-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Fredericksburg Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fredericksburg-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District ## 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: [Texas lantana: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/texas-lantana)