SafePlants

Desert Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa)

The Desert Sand Verbena, scientifically known as Abronia villosa, is a captivating plant native to the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Common Names

• Desert Sand-Verbena
• Chaparral Sand-Verbena
• Hairy Sand Verbena

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Abronia villosa
• Family: Nyctaginaceae (Four o'clock plant family)
• Synonyms: A villosa var villosa

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to the desert southwest, including southern California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Baja California, and northern Mexico.
• Commonly found in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts.
• Prefers sandy flats, creosote bush scrub, and open sandy areas, up to an elevation of 3000 feet.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• An annual plant growing to a height of approximately 4 inches (0.1 meters) and spreading up to 1 foot 8 inches (0.5 meters).
• Grows as a mat, typically 20 inches across.
• Characterized as a glandular-pubescent and much-branched annual with stems that can be either prostrate or ascending.
• Stems are somewhat sticky, covered in short, sticky hairs.
• Features opposite leaves.
• Flowers are white to light purple, or vibrant purple to rose-pink, trumpet-shaped, fragrant (especially at nighttime), and arranged in dense verbena-like clusters.
• Blooms from February to July, following ample winter rains.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant is described as a "soft-haired sticky plant," suggesting that the stickiness could potentially cause minor irritation if a pet comes into contact with it.

Considerations for Children

• The plant is described as a "soft-haired sticky plant," suggesting that the stickiness could potentially cause minor irritation if a child comes into contact with it.

Quirky Facts

• Desert Sand Verbena can carpet miles of desert with pink after ample rains.
• The flowers are notably fragrant at nighttime.

Additional Information

• Detailed information can be found at Dave's Garden, California Academy of Sciences, Wikimedia Commons and Getty Images.