FLOWER SEEDS

Medicinal Properties of the Lantana

Medicinal Properties:

Lantana is one of those plants with only scattered and often conflictive reports on its use in herbal medicine, so approach this one with caution. The rest of the plant is used almost world-wide for its medicinal properties, and crushed leaves make a good furniture polish.

Although working around Lantana plants can cause a type of rash, the leaf actually seems to work as a soothing agent in cases of insect stings, skin eruptions, cuts, scrapes, ulcerations, the itch of measles and chicken pox, and finally, parasites, such as scabies.

OTHER METHODS

of itch relief is to place a handful of fresh leaves in a mesh bag or something similar, and place it under the bath tap water. Also if you find yourself without a toothbrush, Lantana stems make a decent substitute because of their spiny nature.

Lantana leaves can be used in a Tea for relief of symptoms of rheumatism (a bath might help),indigestion, joint pain, flu, cough, colds, sore throat, fever, and possibly tapeworm-and can be boiled and eaten for relief from headaches, body pain, and toothaches. The leaves also seem to work as an inhalant for respiratory problems. To use as an inhalant, pound the leaves, and boil in water with a tight fitting lid for about 5 min using a funnel, pour the hot liquid into a glass container with a narrow mouth, and inhale continuously until the symptoms retreat. This strategy can also be tried for headaches and colds.

Lastly, Lantana leaves, dried and burned in a glass jar or other fireproof container, have been used for years as a natural mosquito repellent. Consider mixing them with beeswax that you can find at any craft store for a homemade herbal mosquito repellant at your next outdoor party.

Danger

Be careful about your kids and pets eating Lantana seeds, as it can be pretty toxic when overdosed. Toxicity is in the green seed only-once they turn black, they are no longer a treat. There has been one human fatality attributed to them. Animals will also be affected by eating these plants, though in the documentation I have studied, it doesn’t say whether it was the leaves or the berries that caused the toxicity (though I suspect it was the berries). Most domestic animals will not eat this plant, probably due to a combination of the taste and smell, so they are not a huge problem in the home landscape, but Lantana has been known to cause fatalities in farm animals, such as cows and goats. I also have alot of kids,dogs,cats and cows are always running amuck in my yard and in the 20 years that I've had this ONE bush nothing has ever happened. Just needed to inform you.