Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa, but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region.
They are widely cultivated for their flowers in tropical and subtropical environment, such as in Guyana, and as an annual plant in temperate climates.
The genus includes both herbaceous plants and shrubs growing to 0.5–2 m tall.
Lantanas aromatic clusters  (called umbels) are a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets.
The flowers typically change color as they mature, resulting in inflorescences that are two- or three-colored. A common name in some countries for Lantana Camara is “Ham ‘n Eggs” due to the adjacent pink and yellow inflorescences.
The spread of lantana is aided by the characteristic of their leaves, which are somewhat poisonous to most animals, while their fruit is a delicacy for many birds which distribute the seeds.
Lantanas are useful as honey plants, and Spanish Flag (L. camara), L. lilacina and L. trifolia are sometimes planted for this purpose, or in butterfly gardening.
Most of the plants sold as lantana are either Spanish Flag (L. camara), Trailing Lantana (L. montevidensis) or hybrids between the two. L. camara is the most common species in cultivation.
Numerous cultivars of this species exist, including ‘Irene’, ‘Christine’ and ‘Dallas Red’ (all tall-growing cultivars) and several recently introduced shorter ones.
The shorter cultivars may flower more prolifically than the taller ones. L. montevidensis gives blue (or white) flowers all year round. Its foliage is dark green and has a distinct odor.