Lantana camara

Lantana camara is a priority invasive plant in the Sunshine Coast Region. In the newly released Sunshine Coast Biosecurity Plan 2024, it is classified as an “Asset protection” species: it should be managed to minimise it’s spread to and/or minimise it’s impacts on high value economic, environmental and/or social assets. High value assets include vegetated areas managed for conservation, waterways, wetlands, riparian vegetation, horticulture, agriculture, primary production areas, community open space, and residential areas. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 it is classified as a “Restricted” category 3 species. We must not distribute, dispose of, gift, sell, trade, or release it into the environment. Further information on it can be found here: Lantana camara.

Information and Identification

Lantana was introduced to Australia in the 1800’s and originates from South and Central America. It now covers some 5 million hectares of land in coastal and hinterland areas from southern NSW right around the north of Australia to WA. It loves sub-tropical and tropical climates and has few natural herbivores in Australia (so not much eats it).

Identification (I don’t think too many of us need help with this!):

• Scrambling or sprawling shrub
• Pinkish or orangish flowers
• Green berry-like fruit which turn black when ripe
• Strong smell when the leaves are crushed.

Impacts

Environmental

• Forms dense thickets that can smother native vegetation.
• Can promote fire in native vegetation areas.

Economic

• Some varieties are poisonous to stock
• Can take over pastures (although usually only when they’ve been abandoned).
• Can promote fire in residential areas.

Social

• Grows into impenetrable thickets, preventing access by humans, stock and animals.

Benefits

This is the first time I’ve included this heading in a Weed of the Month – most of the other weeds I’ve dealt with have few or no obvious benefits, but Lantana is an exception!

• Can be critical habitat for the endangered Black-breasted Button Quail (BBBQ). Some local observations about this issue can be found here. The only places that I have observed BBBQ on Crystal Waters have been adjacent to lantana thickets, so we need to be careful about how we treat it – removal of small areas at a time, and replacement with suitable native species as we go, is the best strategy, especially in areas known to have BBBQs. (I’ve seen them on the Tropical Orchard Ridge and above Lot 74).
• Native birds and bees love it for nectar, pollen and fruit (which is why it gets spread around so effectively).
• Lots of smaller native birds, reptiles and mammals use thickets of lantana as retreats from predator attack. Again, we need to be careful about removal, so we don’t take away all their homes at once.
• Green lantana can be quite good at suppressing fire.
• Cleared areas previously dominated by lantana have enriched soil, as well as good seed banks of native plants (and weeds!), so they’re great areas for restoration. Many small native plants can often be found under lantana thickets, so it’s often a good strategy to clear them by hand and allow all these plants to take over, rather than having a machine come in and wipe out the lot (opening up the space for the next weed infestation).

Distribution at Crystal Waters

Pretty much everywhere! Although we’ve made pretty good progress on reducing it in the buffer zones around the lots and roads, as well as in the riparian zones, over the last 5 years.

Control methods and efforts

We mostly use hand removal of lantana in the buffer zones mentioned above, and in existing restoration areas and riparian zones. In some areas we have done machine removal – either with a giant brush-cutter mounted on an excavator or with a mulching slasher and root-puller. All machine methods require follow-up hand removal of roots and this has been successful when the areas have been relatively small and there has been follow-up planting as well. Other areas without follow-up have reverted to lantana-dominated areas within a year.

Several biological control agents have been trialled in Australia, and about 4 have become well-established in the wild. They include a couple of beetles, a bug (sap-sucking insect) and a fly. The evidence of these can be seen in damaged leaves. My observation is that the impact of these herbivorous insects varies from year to year and from place to place. We are not yet at the point where they are having a significant impact on the lantana population, unfortunately! Keep and eye out for them though, and wish the insects well when you see them!