Tai Tam Country Trail Lantana camara / Common Lantana 《I》 Lantana camara (commonly known as common lantana or wild sage) is a widespread ornamental plant as well as a toxic invasive species. Originally native to South America and the West Indies, it was subsequently introduced to other regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia. A key characteristic of Lantana camara is its multi-coloured blossoms, which display changing hues of orange, red, yellow, white, and purple—sometimes with different colours appearing within a single flower cluster, earning it local names like “five-colour plum,” “vibrant flower,” or “mutation grass.” It boasts a long blooming period, flowering almost all year round, and possesses a strong reproductive capability that allows it to thrive easily in the wild and crowd out native flora. The stems, leaves, and fruits of common lantana contain toxins that pose a hazard to both humans and animals; accidental ingestion can cause poisoning symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever, and jaundice. While Lantana camara holds certain medicinal uses, such as reducing fever and relieving swelling, it must be handled with extreme caution.
