Baloliya Lantana

They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa, exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, including Sri Lanka. The plants and shrubs growing to 0.5–2 m tall, with the common names 'Shrub Verbenas' or 'Lantanas'. Lantana's aromatic flower clusters are a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets. Other colors exist as new varieties are being selected. The flowers typically change color as they mature, resulting in inflorescences that are two- or three-colored.

The spread of lantana is aided by the fact that their leaves are poisonous to most animals and thus avoided by herbivores, while their fruit is a delicacy for many birds; these distribute the seeds and thereby unwittingly contribute to the degradation of their home ecosystem. The swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) is one of the few mammals that eat Lantana leaves without apparent ill effect.

Lantanas are useful as honey plants, are sometimes planted for this purpose, or in butterfly gardening. Total eradication of Lantana seems often impossible, it may in many cases be better to simply remove plants with immature (green) fruit to prevent them from spreading. Some weaverbirds, the black-throated weaver and the streaked weaver, highly value Lantana flowers for decorating their nests. An ability to procure spectacular and innovative decorations appears to be desired by females, and consequently is an indicator of the males' fitness.

Lantana species cause hepatotoxicity and photosensitivity when ingested by grazing animals such as sheep, goats, bovines and horses. This has led to widespread livestock loss in the United States, South Africa, India, Mexico, and Australia. Lantana species are widely cultivated for their flowers in tropical and subtropical environments and in temperate climates. Although lantanas are generally hardy and, being somewhat toxic, are usually rejected by herbivores, they may still become infested with pests.

The edibility of Lantana berries is contested. Some experts claim Lantana berries are edible when ripe though like many fruit are mildly poisonous if eaten while still green. Other experts claim that experimental research indicates that both unripe and ripe Lantana berries are potentially lethal, despite claims by others that ripe berries are not poisonous.

The Soliga, Korava and Palliyar tribal people in Karnataka, India use lantana to produce roughly 50 different products. It is considered a "near match" to highly priced alternatives, cane and bamboo. Furniture made from lantana is resistant to sun, rain, and termite damage