Lantana camara L.
VerbenaceaeThe generic name derives from an ancient name of Viburnum lantana, native plant in Europe whose floral structure resembles this species. However the lantana is a very resistant plant that comes from the American tropics, especially Texas. It has volatile oils of unpleasant odor. Although not proven medicinal value, some people have used it in curing diseases of the gallbladder. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the lantana was introduced and cultivated in Europe and its colonies exclusively for its ornamental value, being highly appreciated in this decorative sense in the nineteenth century. Today it is widely naturalized in temperate regions of the Old and the New World, to the point of having become a weed in tropical areas. The lantana, sometimes with flowers of different colors, is a real magnet for pollinating insects like bees, but especially for butterflies. Hence, attracted by the flowering of the lantana, it won’t be difficult to see them flitting around in the gardens of the Alcazar.