Upper Rock Nature Reserve: A Management and Action Plan

8.3 Lantana camara L.
Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society - GONHS
Introduced Flora
Action
No action is currently being taken to eradicate this species from within the Nature
Reserve. Given the threat that the spread of this species poses to local flora, measures
should be taken to ensure that feral populations of this species within and around the Nature
Reserve boundary are eliminated. This would involve clearing areas where this invasive
species grows and uprooting the bulbs to ensure that stands of this plant cannot regenerate.
It is also advisable to prohibit or restrict the growing of this plant in private gardens within the
Nature Reserve.
Figure 11. Lantana camara in flower.
Description
An evergreen shrub, about 1m to 2m, with a rounded
appearance, often spreading. Stems are downy, often with
small, recurved prickles. Leaves are bristly above and
downy or hairless below. They have an oval shape, and are
toothed. Flower heads are flattish, and the inflorescence
consists of flowers of several colours, mainly white, yellow
and pink (Cullen et al. 2000).
Range
Lantana camara is native to the West Indies, but it is
widely naturalised in the tropics generally (Cullen et al.
2000).
In Gibraltar, Lantana camara is a popular garden plant.
Large numbers can be seen, for example, in the Gardens of
the South District. Individuals that have seeded from these
gardens can also be found in this area, as they can in other
areas where this species is grown.
It is from the gardens of the South District that this
species has found its way into within the boundary of the
Upper Rock Nature Reserve, in and around the Jews’ Gate
area, where a growing number of individuals of this species
can be found. Large bushes of Lantana camara can also be
found within the PSA nursery, where they were purposefully
planted.
Figure 12. Map showing the distribution
of Lantana camara within the Upper Rock
Nature Reserve.
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