Lantana montevidensis
Trailing lantana
(c) José Belem Hernández Díaz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Verbenaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Lantana montevidensis (Trailing lantana) is a non-native California shrub in the Verbenaceae family, recognized by differentiation relies primarily on involucre bract width measurements.
Trailing lantana is a naturalized annual found in the San Francisco Bay and southern California coastal regions on disturbed slopes and abandoned fields at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering all year, this plant produces small flowers in clusters with colors ranging from purple to lavender. Growing with spreading, low-growing stems that trail along the ground, it forms dense, mat-like ground cover. Its leaves are oval to lance-shaped, arranged opposite each other, with slightly toothed edges and a rough texture. The flower clusters are compact, with small bracts surrounding delicate blooms approximately 8 to 12 millimeters long.
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
Outside California: naturalized +- worldwide, native to South America
Bloom period
Lantana montevidensis blooms All year.
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 montevidensis native to California?
No. Lantana montevidensis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lantana montevidensis bloom?
Lantana montevidensis blooms All year.
What plant family does Lantana montevidensis belong to?
Lantana montevidensis is in the Verbenaceae family, genus Lantana.
What habitat does Lantana montevidensis grow in?
Lantana montevidensis grows in Disturbed slopes, abandoned fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.