Alternate name: Shrub Verbena, Hedgeflower

Family: Verbenaceae, Verbena view all from this family

Description Bushy, flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to the American tropics.

Dimensions Height: 1.5 m. (5 ft.).

Warning Children have been fatally poisoned from eating the berries, animals from eating the whole plant. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, the plant’s different parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.

Habitat Cities, suburbs & towns, Beaches & shorelines, Fields.

Range Florida, Plains, Texas, California, Southeast, Southwest.

Discussion An invasive species and has covered large areas in India, Australia and much of Africa. It colonizes new areas when its seeds are dispersed by birds. Once it reaches an area, L. camara spreads quickly.