Lantana camara var. mista ("Tachigerantana")

Japanese name: タチゲランタナ
Scientific name: Lantana camara var. mista

[Overview]
A semi-climbing evergreen shrub 1–2 m tall.
It is deciduous in cold regions.
The plant branches freely.
The leaves are simple and opposite, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 2–12 cm long.
The upper surface of the leaves is heavily wrinkled and covered with coarse hairs, and the veins on the underside have short hairs.
The leaf margins are toothed.
Head-like inflorescences about 3 cm across arise from the leaf axils and bear dense flowers.
The inflorescence has a stalk 2–8 cm long.
The flowers are 1 cm long and 6–8 mm across, with the corolla tip divided into 4–5 lobes; the flower color changes from yellow to orange and later to red or pale pink, so even within one inflorescence the outer and inner flowers differ in color.
The flowers open from the outside of the inflorescence.
The fruit is a spherical berry 3 mm across that ripens to purple or black.
Unripe fruits are poisonous.

[Uses]
The young branches, flowers and roots are used medicinally, but there are reports that touching the leaves causes a rash in some people.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
If the site is sunny and well drained, it is not particular about soil.
In poor light, flowering is reduced.
It is somewhat tender to cold, so protect it from cold winter winds and frost.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries from spring to autumn, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient once the plant is established.
Overfertilizing makes the plant grow too dense, so apply only a small amount of slow-release fertilizer twice a year, in spring and autumn.
Fruiting tires the plant, so promptly remove spent flowers after flowering.
If the plant becomes too dense or looks untidy after losing its leaves in winter, cut it back hard to the base to reshape it.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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