Lantana ランタナ（Before Revision: Common Nettle (Urtica dioica) 修正前：セイヨウイラクサ（西洋刺草））

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The common nettle (Urtica dioica) is native to Europe, temperate Asia, and western North Africa and now found worldwide but I didn't know it can grow in a sidewalk gutter like those in these photos in Central Tokyo. I have rhinitis, so I was considering buying a nettle seedling to grow it at home but not anymore!

P.S.

A few days later, I found flowers among the leaves, which made me realize they're not nettles but lantanas. Sorry for the confusion. 

2026/7/5

Busy Ants on Common Lantana アリとランタナ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The flowers have lost all petals but are still popular among ants. They're common lantana (Lantana camara). Not only lantana but also almost all the flowers in my neighborhood have died because of the recent heat wave. The ants seemed very busy collecting pollen from decreasing food sources. 

Ants on common lantana　アリとランタナ

Life of Lantana ランタナの一生

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I happened to see the beginning through to the end of the life of lantanas. The flower on these stages is all pretty respectively but differently.   

Still a bud まだつぼみ

An umbel consisting of star-shaped tiny flowers
星形の花から成る散形花序

Started to flower だんだん形が｡｡｡

Almost in full bloom ほぼ満開

End of life 終わり

Lantana is called "seven changes" in Japan as its bright color changes as time goes by. Hydrangea is also called "seven changes" for the same reason. So confusing!!

Lantana symbolizes:
- "rigor" or a "lack of flexibility" in the UK, and
- "fickleness," "agreement," "cooperation," and "rigor" in Japan.

"Fickleness" makes sense because it changes color. "Agreement" and "cooperation" also make sense as its flower clusters can be interpreted as a symbol of agreement and/or cooperation, but why "rigor" or a "lack of flexibility"? I couldn't find the reason....

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ランタナの一生です。つぼみから散っているものまでそれぞれに美しいです。

ランタナの和名はシチヘンゲ（七変化）。時間とともに色が変わるからですが、紫陽花の別名も「七変化」。結構いい加減😜？

西洋の花言葉は「厳格」、「柔軟性の欠如」。

日本の花言葉は「心変わり」、「合意」、「協力」、「厳格」。

色が変わるので「心変わり」は納得、小さい花が集まっているので「合意」と「協力」も納得ですが、なぜ「厳格」、「柔軟性の欠如」？ 分かりませんでした｡｡｡｡

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Verbenas & Lantanas Look Same😅 - Seven Bicolor/Tricolor Ones バーベナとランタナがもう分からない😅

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I like small flowers. I like colorful flowers. This makes me like small and colorful flowers so much!!! The first one is my favorite because of the shape of the buds, which look like stars!!　

Star-like buds - red, orange and pink   
星形のつぼみ -  赤、オレンジ、ピンク

White and yellow 白と黄色

White, yellow, orange and pink
白、黄色、オレンジ、ピンク

Red, orange and yellow 赤、オレンジ、黄色

White, yellow and green 白、黄、緑

Yellow and pale green 黄と緑

Two yellow colors 黄色２種

To tell you the truth, I have given up on differentiating verbenas and lantanas because I don't think lay persons like me can tell which one is which. According to SFGATE, ".... Because of their similar characteristics, they’re often confused as the same plant..... Lantana and verbena appear similar, but they have different hardiness zones, growth habits and toxicity levels."

Okay, they are different in hardiness zones, growth habits and toxicity levels, but with only these, I can't make distinctions. I need more, like differences easy to see, such as differences in the color or shape of petals or leaves, but I couldn't find them, which made me give up on differentiating these two... 

I can't tell which one is which, but can tell what they have in common! They are both small, colorful and pretty! That's why I love them both❤️!

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白状します。バーベナとランタナ。もう分かりません。あるサイトによると耐寒性、生育習性、毒性基準が異なるそうです。でもそれだけじゃわからな～い。花びらや葉っぱの形とか、私のような素人にもわかるような見分け方を教えてほしい～！ でも見つらない｡｡｡ で、諦めました🙇

でもね、どっちもちっちゃくてきれい！ だからどっちも好きっていうことでお許しください（笑）

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Seven Types of Verbenas/Lantanas ７通りのバーベナ・ランタナ

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are verbenas (or lantanas). I knew these small flowers were in bloom, but as they are everywhere, I just let them go. But one day, I saw them in various colors, which made me unable to ignore them....　Which one do you like the best? 

White, pink, orange, yellow
白、ピンク、オレンジ、黄

White and yellow 白と黄

Yellow 黄色

Pink ピンク

Pale pink 薄ピンク

White 白

Bright pink 濃いピンク

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バーベナ（またはランタナ？）です。よく見かけるのでスルーしていたのですが、１日で７種類（７色）見たので無視できなくなりました。どれが一番好きですか？

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Japan Has Two Lantanas ランタナと小葉のランタナ

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Japan has two lantanas, West Indian lantana and trailing or weeping lantanas. West Indian lantana is called in Japan just "lantana" while trailing/weeping lantana "small leaf lantana" because its leaves are smaller than West Indian lantana's.

I haven't seen West Indian lantana, but have found these two tiny, but conspicuous trailing/weeping lantanas. Both are pink, but of different shades.

Trailing / weeping lantana 小葉のランタナ

Trailing lantana's leaves are smaller than West Indian lantana's
小葉のランタナの葉っぱはランタナより小さい

West Indian lantana is called "seven changes" in Japan as its bright color changes as time goes by. The thing is hydrangea is also called "seven changes" for the same reason. So confusing!!

A Japanese flower has usually two names, a Japanese name and an English name, like "seven changes" and "lantana" for lantana, and mostly (and sadly) the English name is more known than the Japanese one. But I always try to provide the Japanese name unless the flower has none. The more we know, the more we appreciate the world around us!

Lantana symbolizes:
- "rigor" or a "lack of flexibility" in the U.K.; and
- "fickleness," "agreement," "cooperation," and "rigor" in Japan.

"Fickleness" makes sense because it changes color. "Agreement" and "cooperation" also make sense as lantana's flower clusters can be interpreted as a symbol of agreement and/or cooperation, but why "rigor" or a "lack of flexibility"? I couldn't find the reason....

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日本にはランタナと小葉のランタナがあるそうです。小葉のランタナはランタナより葉が小さいからその名がついたとのこと。私がここ最近見かけたこの二つは、どうも小葉のランタナのようです。ちっちゃいけど可愛いし、目立ちます。

ランタナの和名はシチヘンゲ（七変化）。時間とともに色が変わるからだそうですが、紫陽花の別名も「七変化」。結構いい加減😜？

西洋の花言葉は「厳格」、「柔軟性の欠如」。
日本の花言葉は「心変わり」、「合意」、「協力」、「厳格」。

色が変わるので「心変わり」は納得、小さい花が集まっているので「合意」と「協力」も納得ですが、なぜ「厳格」、「柔軟性の欠如」？ 調べたけど分かりませんでした｡｡｡｡

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