Click image to enlarge. Lantana, of the vervain family Verbenaceae, consists of more than 150 species of shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Lantanas are mostly natives of the Tropics and subtropics of the Americas but some are natives of warm parts of the Old World. Their name is an ancient one used for the quite unrelated genus Viburnum.
Wild lantanas are hairy and often prickly-stemmed.
If rubbed and bruised, their leaves usually have a pungent odor. Verbena-like flowers are formed in clusters from the leaf axils or at the ends of branches. The small, berry-like fruits contain seeds. In some regions, Texas included, lantanas grow wild as weeds, chiefly spread by birds that are very fond of their juicy fruits. The species name for the native L. horrida, refers to the pungent odor of the crushed leaves.