Lantana first entered my consciousness when, as a child holidaying in the seaside town of Kiama, I noticed it growing along the road between the campsite and town. Walking home in the cooling dusk after eating a dinner of fish and chips in the park, I would pick one of the pretty umbels and pull off the little trumpets one by one, first the outer circles of pink florets, then the inner one of yellow-throated white. I was always disappointed that they didn't have a smell that matched their beauty. Later in life, living in the tropics and subtropics, I battled lantana as a noxious weed, strong and prickly and voracious. That's why I find it so strange to see it growing in neighbourhood gardens here in L.A. As much as I appreciate its hardy good looks, I could never plant it in my yard.
Friday, June 15, 2007
June 15
Lantana first entered my consciousness when, as a child holidaying in the seaside town of Kiama, I noticed it growing along the road between the campsite and town. Walking home in the cooling dusk after eating a dinner of fish and chips in the park, I would pick one of the pretty umbels and pull off the little trumpets one by one, first the outer circles of pink florets, then the inner one of yellow-throated white. I was always disappointed that they didn't have a smell that matched their beauty. Later in life, living in the tropics and subtropics, I battled lantana as a noxious weed, strong and prickly and voracious. That's why I find it so strange to see it growing in neighbourhood gardens here in L.A. As much as I appreciate its hardy good looks, I could never plant it in my yard.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Hi Hashi. Fun to see your drawing of Lantana. By" noxious" do you mean that the plant is invasive in Australia, takes over the land, is bad for cattle-- things like that?? We planted two wild clumps that we got at a farmer's market, two years ago. It's grown a little but not a lot here in West Texas.
Annie
Hi Annie, yes lantana is very invasive in the warm wet parts of Australia. It can climb high in trees and choke out rainforest regrowth.
I LOVE your lantana. You would be shocked to see how much it is used in central Texas. Commercial landscapers rely on it heavily. I guess our hostile climate must keep it in check!
I like this a lot. My father has a very detailed w/colour I did of lantana when I did botanical illustrations, but I prefer the accurate simplicity of this one. I like the smell by the way.
Whew lantan, no I dont like the smell, luckily here it is not invasive but i still dont plant it. Great drawing tho
Post a Comment