Sounds like the pink and yellow kind?

I had the purple kind invade and I didn't plant it. It's another stinky weed. I have dug it up but yes it is tough and makes you itch.

Yes, PC, it is the pink and yellow stuff - and, yes, it's scratchy. I've got the scratches to prove that part. I called Baker and they said if I used Brush Kill, it would not harm nearby plants. That said, I'm still worrying about using it for fear the doggone dogs will get into it. I guess I'll have to be ultra careful and put a concrete block on top of each root. Most have been dug up below the surface of the dirt.

I didn't even realize Lantana was invasive in the low deserts! I know it's a big problem from Mississippi to Florida (where my family is from)

Hold on - definition of terms here. There's a difference between an invasive plant and a garden thug. Lantana does not grow out in the desert without water. So, technically, no, it is not invasive here, unlike some of the ornamental grasses and Tamarisk.

But a thug? Oh, yeah.... I don't remember any berries being formed on the purples, but I sure do the yellow/pinks. And anywhere there's water, they'll sprout. And it does smell bad.

Thug. That's exactly what it is! And my yard is irrigated so every little seed becomes a sprout. Not a problem where the grass is mowed, but definitely under trees and any hard-to-reach spot. I never knew it had a name, but apparently it does: Irene.

A broadleaf herbicide or glyphosate (Round-Up) applied with a sponge/mop/brush type apparatus is great for selectively attacking lantana (or any broadleaf pest), especially seedlings.

You can keep the use of the herbicide to a minimum and protect surrounding plants.

The leaves are gone as the plants have been chopped off below ground. That's why I'm using brush kill and covering it over.

I had planned on using Lantana as a ground cover to fill in some blank spots in a few garden areas, like a living mulch. Is there a variety that won't put me through the hell that you're dealing with?

Honestly, xill, I don't know. I admire the pretty red and yellow clumps I see everywhere, but it's the last plant I'd buy after this experience. I don't know if the 'dwarf' lantana spreads like Irene or not. Better to ask a plant expert - and I don't mean the folks at Home Depot! ;-)

Yeah, there's more prostrate forms - both the light purple and the gold seem to go over more than they go up. Make sure that's really what you want, though - if you change your mind, it ain't gonna be easy. And there are a few options for ground covers, as well.

ok cool. thanks pc :)

Oh dear, the aliens are invading, sky's falling. I have the red/yellow lantana and I love it. I've had it near my front entrance right next to a Meyer lemon tree and it has been an awesome plant for me. I prune it into a small bush when it starts wanting to spread. I rarely ever water it, but it looks beautiful especially now. I have not seen it try to spread/multiply or invade anything. A couple of winters ago, it got hurt by the frost and I chopped it down to the ground. It came back and again I'm training it into the shape I want. I've seen the yellow lantanas, but I don't like the way they look, and I don't like the light purple ones either... there's just something about their growth pattern that I don't like (too airy) and I like a more compact bush. Also one thing to know is that if you have pets or livestock (generally animals know not to eat toxic stuff, but some of them can be rather dumb). Lantana is toxic to poultry (i have chickens). I usually feed my chickens all kinds of grass, weed and other garden trimmings, but definitely not the lantana or Canna lilly trimmings.

Interesting, never knew about the chickens, lol.

Just an FYI, there's both a light yellow and a more golden yellow form.

Greendesert, if you've ever been outside of Norterra shopping area, they have the red (and yellow? For some reason I'm blanking as to whether or not they have yellow.... probably do) lantana - like TONS of them- right outside their sign. Quite pretty en masse like that.

What ever happened to the kind of raspberry colored ones? They were popular right before I left for TN, and I don't see them now.

There is *nothing* compact about the stuff that takes over my yard! It sends out long shoots and just looks scraggly. I'm guessing you don't have an irrigated yard or you might not be so fond of the one you have, lol!

It's been about a month since I got into the lantana bramble and cut the stuff to the ground. I got scratched, of course, but thought it would clear up in a day or so. NOT! The stuff is toxic and this link does say it can cause contact dermatitis that doesn't last long. I can still see the scratches on my left arm and if I get soapy dishwater on it, it flares up into red welts. Has anyone else ever had this continued reaction to lantana scratches?

Here is a link that might be useful: lantana and contact dermatitis