Shrubs, often scrambling and forming dense thickets, the branches rough and often prickly. Leaves ovate, to 6 cm or so long and 4 cm wide, margins toothed, upper surface rough and wrinkled, hairy below; stalk to 2 cm long. Flower heads to 3 cm wide, on stalks to 8 cm long; almost year round. Corolla 1-1.5 cm long, white, pink, yellow, orange, red and magenta, separate or in combination. Fruit a drupe 4-6 mm wide, black.

Tropical S America

Grown as a range of brightly coloured cultivars for hedge, standard, border or hanging basket. There are several hundred cultivars documented worldwide but only a small proportion of these would be currently available.

A widespread weed of warm countries. In some parts of Australia it is a noxious weed, especially in disturbed rainforest and coastal districts north of Bega in S NSW. A study of the Lantana camara complex in Australia, including pictures and a key to cultivars, was published by Smith &Smith in 1982 and lists 29 different naturalised taxa.

Some cultivars are poisonous to stock.

Howard (1969), Smith & Smith (1982).

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Verbenaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.