Lantana montevidensis is a small strongly scented flowering low shrub with oval-shaped green leaves.

The inflorescence is a circular head of several purple to lavender to white funnel-shaped flowers with lobed corollas each nearly a centimeter wide.

depressa, a Florida endemic taxon more closely related to Lantana camara with smaller, less robust flowers.

Lantana montevidensis is also cultivated as an ornamental plant for its plentiful colorful lavender to purple flowers and as a drought tolerant groundcover, woody vine, and trailing plant for containers and in the ground.

In subtropical climates there are flowers most of the year, with yellow blooming and variegated leaved cultivars also available.