Bartlettina sordida (Purple Torch)

Native to Mexico and Guatemala, this evergreen shrub grows about 6 to 10 feet tall and is cultivated for its large clusters of lilac to pink-purple flower heads. The flowers have a lilac and honey fragrance. Reddish hairs cover the stems and parts of the leaves. Tiny seeds are dispersed by wind, helping it escape from gardens. It is naturalized and an environmental weed in New Zealand, where it occupies forest edges and inhibits the regeneration of native plants. Photographed in Panama.