Lantana camara
Lantana
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Lantana camara (Lantana) is a non-native California shrub in the Verbenaceae family, recognized by differentiation relies primarily on involucre bract width measurements.
Lantana is a naturalized annual found in southern California coastal and Sacramento Valley regions on disturbed slopes and abandoned fields at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering throughout the year, this plant produces multi-colored flowers that change from yellow to orange to red as they age, forming dense, compact clusters. Growing with spreading stems that can form dense, tangled patches, it spreads quickly in open, disturbed areas. Its leaves are arranged oppositely, with rough, wrinkled textures and serrated edges that release a distinctive pungent odor when crushed.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; differentiation relies primarily on involucre bract width measurements
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed slopes, abandoned fields
Elevation: < 200 m
California counties: Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, Santa Clara
Outside California: naturalized +- worldwide, perhaps native to Caribbean
Bloom period
Lantana camara blooms All year.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Tagetes: Lantana has tubular flowers in flat clusters; Tagetes has composite daisy-like flower heads.; vs Abronia: Lantana is woody shrub; Abronia is prostrate herb with sticky stems and trumpet-shaped flowers.; vs Eriophyllum: Lantana has tubular flowers in flat clusters; Eriophyllum has yellow daisy-like composite heads.; vs Lobularia: Lantana has large tubular flowers in broad heads; Lobularia has tiny 4-petaled white flowers.; vs Achillea: Lantana has tubular flowers in broad flat heads; Achillea has tiny composite flowers in flat-topped clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lantana camara native to California?
No. Lantana camara is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lantana camara bloom?
Lantana camara blooms All year.
Where in California does Lantana camara grow?
Lantana camara occurs in Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 200 m.
What plant family does Lantana camara belong to?
Lantana camara is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Lantana.
Is Lantana camara invasive in California?
Lantana camara is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.