Why Are Lantana Blooms Different From the Original Plant?

Hundreds of lantana hybrids exist in nature and in commercial nurseries. Hybrids are crosses between different varieties or even species. The seeds of a hybrid plant may not produce a plant with similar characteristics, such as flower color. This is the case with lantana.

Nursery Hybrids

Lantana comes from the West Indies and became popular in Europe in the 1800's. Hundreds of hybrids were bred to create new flower colors. Each seed from one hybrid plant could produce several different colors unlike the parent plant's color.

Natural Hybrids

Lantana hybrid

Lantana escaped into the wild in many countries and is considered an invasive pest. In nature, its ability to cross-pollinate easily led to the development of many more hybrids in the wild. Seeds from these wild hybrid plants could produce a variety of bloom colors unrelated to the parent plant.

Natural Color Change

Lantana flowers sometimes change color as they age. White flowers become pink or lavender; yellow flowers may change to orange or red. For this reason, the flowers of the parent shrub may not resemble the child blooms at any given time.

Hybrids Are Hard to Distinguish

Lantana depressa?

Lantana depressa, native to Florida, has yellow flowers. Lantana camara, native to the West Indies, is multicolored. Seeds from these plants, crossed with the same species, will produce plants of the same color; however, even experts have difficulty determining if a plant is pure or hybrid.

Help From the Birds and the Bees

Cross-pollination

Lantana is a favorite with butterflies and bees, which aid in cross-pollination and hybrid development. Birds love the seeds and distribute them far and wide. This helped create the hybrid chaos that is lantana.

References

• University of Florida: Lantana species
• University of Florida: Lantana Camera

Resources

• Lantana species