Why Kenyans Are Turning to Toxic Lantana as a Herbal Remedy

Lantana camara, a plant widely regarded as invasive and toxic, is increasingly being promoted in Kenya as a herbal remedy for a range of physical and mental health conditions, despite warnings from medical experts about serious health risks.

Lantana camara, commonly known as tick berry, is being promoted on social media and in informal herbal markets as a treatment for conditions including infertility, memory loss, eczema and depression. Users are encouraged to chew the leaves, prepare herbal teas, or inhale steam from boiled plant material, with claims that these practices improve digestion, memory and respiratory health.

Some vendors and practitioners describe the plant as a long-standing part of traditional medicine. Martin Odhiambo, a traditional healer associated with the Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (Ticah), says he consumed the ripe black berries as a child and now prescribes preparations of the plant for colds, stomach pain and shingles. He argues that correct preparation and controlled use make the plant safe, saying that long-term community use demonstrates its tolerability.

Herbalist Grace Awuor reports using boiled leaves, powdered extracts and herbal steam treatments made from lantana on a daily basis. She attributes improvements in memory and reduced inflammation to the plant and views its widespread growth as an indication of its usefulness. In her view, naturally abundant plants serve a practical purpose within local environments.

Medical professionals have raised strong concerns about these practices. Dr Mercy Maina, a consultant pharmacologist and toxicologist, describes lantana camara as highly toxic to humans and animals. The plant contains pentacyclic triterpenoids, chemical compounds known to cause liver injury. Unripe berries are considered particularly dangerous and can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and breathing difficulties. Long-term or repeated exposure may result in liver failure.

Dr Maina notes that while some laboratory studies have suggested anti-inflammatory or anti-ulcer properties, these findings are preliminary and based on controlled experiments rather than clinical use. She warns that such evidence does not support routine consumption and that unregulated herbal remedies are a recognised cause of liver damage in medical practice.

Practitioners who support the use of lantana emphasise its role in cultural knowledge systems and view it as part of inherited medical practice. For scientists, however, the plant’s known toxicity and its impact on livestock and ecosystems make it unsuitable for medicinal use without extensive research and regulation.

Lantana camara is known by various local names in Kenya and is commonly used for fencing, firewood, sweeping and insect control. Its availability makes it an appealing option for communities seeking low-cost remedies, but this same accessibility increases the risk of accidental poisoning or inappropriate use.