Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: How dangerous are lantana berries?
QUESTION:
I live in Southern California and have a lantana plant in
my yard that can be reached through our fence. How dangerous are lantana
berries? If a grammar school aged child ate some of them, could it do harm?
ANSWER:
Lantana camara has many varieties, some toxic, others less so. The toxic varieties
cause liver damage to livestock that eat enough of the leaves, which can lead to
photosensitization - skin damage where the sun hits it. In humans, it can cause
lethargy, weakness, irritation of the gut and colapse of the circulatory system. I
am not sure how toxic the berries are relative to the leaves. When I lived in
Africa, the local elementary school kids used to come over and eat all the
berries off of a long lantana hedge we had, despite our warnings that it was
probably poison. Nothing ever happened to them, as far as I know.
I would need to study this much deeper before giving you a more definitive
answer. Until then, I would not pull out your lantana. I would also stop anyone
you saw eating the berries and suggest that there are safer snacks.