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Native Plant Database

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Abronia villosa (Desert sand verbena)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Abronia villosa S. Wats.

Desert sand verbena, Desert sand-verbena, Desert sandverbena

Nyctaginaceae (Four-O'clock Family)

USDA Symbol: ABVI

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A soft-haired, sticky plant with bright pink, trumpet-shaped flowers in heads that bloom on stalks growing from leaf axils. Desert sand-verbena appears as a mat following winter rains, growing 20 in. across and 3-6 in high. Short, sticky hairs cover both the inch-long, oval, fleshy leaves and the many-branched stems. Erect, 1-3 in. stems bear conspicuous clusters of fragrant, lavender-pink flowers.

Following ample winter rains, Desert Sand Verbena may carpet miles of desert with pink.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NV , UT
Native Distribution: S.w. AZ, s.e. CA, s.w. UT & adjacent Mex.
Native Habitat: Driest desert areas
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, well-drained soils.
Conditions Comments: Can be used as an annual ground cover as it reseeds.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Plant seeds in late summer, fall or early spring. Germination may be enhanced by removing the seeds from the papery fruit.
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Not Available
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Abronia villosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Abronia villosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Abronia villosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-21
Research By: TWC Staff

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