Lantana (
Lantana camara) is a perennial herbaceous plant and shrub with showy flowers that change color as they mature. In Australia and several parts of the United States (AL, AZ, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TX, and UT), lantana is considered an invasive weed and rapidly forms dense thickets.
Lantana has compact, flat-topped flower heads and vary in coloration from yellow to orange to red or from white to pink to lavender. The flowers are tubular, 4-petaled and occur nearly all year long, and the central flowers and outer flowers in the clusters are different colors.
Lantana Toxic Components
All parts of
L. camara contains pentacyclic triterpenoids which are damaging to the liver when ingested by horses. It can also cause photosensitization.
Signs of Lantana Poisoning
Early signs of lantana poisoning include depression, loss of appetite, constipation and frequent urination, followed jaundice.
Photosensitivity is usually followed by death, typically occurring 1–4 weeks after the first signs of illness. Administering activated charcoal orally may help.
