SafePlants

Fendler's Sandwort (Arenaria fendleri)

Fendler's Sandwort, scientifically known as Arenaria fendleri A. Gray, is a delicate perennial wildflower belonging to the Pink Family (Caryophyllaceae). It's also sometimes referred to as Eremogone fendleri, as some botanists suggest a change in its Latin name.

Considerations for Pets

• Some sandwort species form tight, sometimes prickly mats.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Arenaria fendleri A. Gray
• Common Name: Fendler's Sandwort
• Family: Caryophyllaceae (Pink Family)
• Synonym: Eremogone fendleri (A. Gray) Ikonn.
• Subordinate Taxa: Arenaria fendleri A. Gray var. fendleri
• Note: The plant is also recognized as Eremogone fendleri by some botanists.

Distribution and Habitat

• Fendler's Sandwort is found in montane, subalpine, and alpine environments.
• It thrives in woodlands and open areas.
• It is found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region.
• Specimens have been collected at locations like Bounder Ridge and Butler Gulch, Arapahoe National Forest.
• It may potentially be found in the states of Sonora.

Morphological Characteristics

• It is a perennial herb with stems ranging from 0.8 to 9.8 inches (0.2 to 2.5 dm) tall.
• The plant has opposite, linear basal leaves that are slender and threadlike.
• It has small white flowers, typically with five petals.
• Flowers are about half an inch across, some with small red dots on the petals, others without.
• The flowers have red anthers.
• It grows in clumps and reaches up to 25 cm tall.
• Flowers are less than 1.25 cm in diameter.
• Tiny flowers are in clusters on leafless stems.

Quirky Facts

• The plant is so tiny that some may mistake the red anthers for spots on the petals until viewed very closely.

Related Species

• Other Arenaria species include: Arenaria aberrans (Mt. Dellenbaugh Sandwort), Arenaria aculeata (Prickly Sandwort), Arenaria franklinii, Arenaria glabra, Arenaria eastwoodiae, Arenaria kingii, Arenaria lanuginosa (Spreading Sandwort), and Arenaria fendleri var. tweedyi.

Additional Information

• The plant blooms from April to September.
• It is considered a forb/herb.
• Further information is available from the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown.
• Images are available on Wikimedia Commons and Flickr.