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LANTANA camara 'Irene'

Image of Lantana camara 'Irene'

Grandiflora

Family

Verbenaceae

Botanical Name

LANTANA camara 'Irene'

Plant Common Name

Irene Lantana, Lantana

General Description

This big, spreading lantana features intense, vibrantly colored flower clusters that appear continuously with minimal care. The new flowers are clear yellow, then deepen to hot pink and finally fuchsia red as they age. Like all Lantana camara 'Irene' is a heat and drought tolerant tropical evergreen shrub that is commonly grown as a warm season tender perennial in temperate zones. It is an older cultivar that has never lost its value and popularity.

The vigorous ‘Irene’ has flexible branches covered with a forest of rough, dark green leaves that have a strong, unpleasant smell when crushed. It bears numerous rounded clusters of small, tubular flowers that appear continuously as long as growing conditions are favorable. Like most Lantana, it produces small purple fruits that attract birds.

This sunny tropical prefers full sun and evenly moist well-drained, average soil. It is highly attractive to butterflies and looks best when planted in masses. The flowers offer continuous brilliant color to beds and containers all season long and may be trained into tree-like standards in tropical zones.

Lantana camara has been called one of the world’s worst weeds and is highly invasive in in many areas where it is hardy. There are sterile cultivars which may be used in the landscape. For more information about the invasive nature of Lantana, see the report by the Global Invasive Species Database: http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?fr=1&si=56

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    12 - 4

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    10 - 11

  • Sunset Zone

    H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

  • Plant Type

    Tender Perennial

  • Sun Exposure

    Full Sun, Partial Sun

  • Height

    2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m

  • Width

    6'-8' / 1.8m - 2.4m

  • Bloom Time

    Indeterminate

  • Native To

    Hybrid Origin

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline

  • Soil Drainage

    Well Drained

  • Soil type

    Clay, Loam, Sand

  • Tolerances

    Pollution, Drought

  • Growth Rate

    Fast

  • Water Requirements

    Drought Tolerant, Average Water

  • Habit

    Spreading

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    Yellow, Hot Pink, Fuchsia

  • Flower Color Modifier

    Multi-Color

  • Fruit Color

    Blue, Black

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Winter)

    Dark Green

  • Bark Color

    Green, Tan

  • Fragrant Flowers

    Yes

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Fragrant Foliage

    Yes

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    Yes

  • Showy Fruit

    No

  • Edible Fruit

    No

  • Showy Foliage

    No

  • Foliage Texture

    Medium

  • Foliage Sheen

    Matte

  • Evergreen

    Yes

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Bark Texture

    Smooth

  • Usage

    Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    Sometimes

  • Attracts

    Butterflies

  • Self-Sowing

    Yes