Abronia

( ah - BRO - nee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly known as Sand Verbena or Wild Lantana, this genus includes species of low-growing annual or perennial herbaceous plants. They are native to western North America and thrive in full sun and loose, dry, sandy soils. They are quite drought tolerant plants once established. Flowers are known for their strong, sweet smell that intensifies in the evening hours to attract their main pollinators, moths. Use Abronia in coastal gardens or xeriscapes as a groundcover, to fight sand erosion, and to attract pollinators to the garden. They make very attractive plants for hot, sandy sites.

Abronia Species and Varietals

Abronia is a genus of approximately 20 species in the Nyctaginaceae plant family. Although their common names suggest a relation to Maple species, this moniker simply refers to the shape of the leaves, not a genetic relation. The best growing zones for Abronia plants is USDA hardiness zones 7a-10b, though this varies somewhat by species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Abronia alpina (Ramshaw Meadows Sand Verbena, Ramshaw Meadows Abronia)
This species is considered critically endangered, and is native to Tulare County, California. It forms a small (up to 6 inches), squat herbaceous plant with green leaves that creates a flat to mounded mat of foliage. Flowers are white to pink or lavender, and bloom in springtime. Best in USDA hardiness zones 6a-9a.

Abronia ameliae (Amelia's Sand Verbena, Heart's Delight)
These flowering plants are native to grasslands and sand habitats in the xeric shrublands region of the Southern United States and northeastern Mexico. They produce rounded heads of pink flowers and produce prostrate stems with dark green leaves.

Abronia ammophila (Yellowstone Sand Verbena, Wyoming Sand Verbena)
This perennial species of Abronia grows well in sandy soils and along the shorelines of lakes. It is native to Yellowstone National Park and dies back yearly in wintertime to an underground storage root. Due to trampling by foot traffic and habitat degradation, the population of this species within the park decreased by 56% between 1998 and 2010. It forms a perennial herb with sticky, hairy prostrate stems and green leaves. Flowers are whitish to yellow and bloom from July through August.

Abronia angustifolia (Narrow-Leaf Sand Verbena)
This species forms a perennial, herbaceous plant with green to grey-green narrow foliage and small, pink to purple tubular flowers held in spherical clusters. Plants in this species can reach up to 1-3 feet wide and 1 foot tall. These plants bloom in spring through summer and are native to arid and semi-arid regions in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Abronia fragrans (Abronia elliptica) (Sweet Sand-Verbena, Snowball Sand-Verbena, Prairie Snowball, Fragrant Verbena)
This perennial species of sand verbena forms an upright or sprawling plant reaching 8-20 inches tall when mature. It grows from an underground taproot and produces sticky, hairy stems. Flowers are white (or green, lavender, or pink-tinged) and are borne in spherical clusters at stem tips. Flowers open in the evening and close again in the morning. Plants are in bloom intermittently from June through late fall.

Abronia latifolia (Abronia arenaria) (Coastal Sand Verbena, Yellow Sand-Verbena)
This species is native to the west coast of North America, and produces rounded yellow clusters of blooms. Plants in this species produce mats of succulent foliage that grow along the ground with stout root systems. Roots of this species are edible, and were were traditionally eaten by the Chinookan peoples.

Abronia macrocarpa (Large-Fruited Sand Verbena, Large-Fruit Sand Verbena)
This species is endemic to eastern Texas, and grows in open savannas and sand dune landscapes. It is considered to be endangered, and forms a perennial herbaceous plant with green, sticky leaves. Flowers are strongly fragrant and open at dusk. They are pollinated by moths. Bloom time is between February and May, and typically begins after the first heavy rain of the year.

Abronia maratima (Red Sand Verbena)
This species grows along coastal southern California and northern Baja California. It requires saline water, and cannot tolerate fresh water for extended periods of time. It produces green succulent leaves and forms a low mat of foliage to 4-12 inches tall at maturity and can spread to be up to 6 feet wide.

Abronia mellifera (White Sand Verbena)
This species forms a perennial herbaceous plant and is endemic to the northwestern United States. It grows in grasslands, sandy soils, and dry desert scrublands. These plants produce pale yellow-green to white flowers in loose rounded heads. Plants reach up to 6 inches tall when mature and in bloom.

Abronia nana (Dwarf Sand Verbena)
These herbaceous plants are native to arid regions of western North America, including the Mojave Desert and Great Basin. It is valued for its delicate, low-growing habit and reaches up to 6 inches tall when mature and in bloom. A popular subspecies is Abronia nana var. covillei, or Coville's Dwarf Abronia.

Abronia pogonantha (Mojave Sand-Verbena)
This species is native to California and Nevada, and prefers to grow in desert landscapes. It is an annual species, producing prostrate or upright stems. Leaves are green and oval-shaped. Flowers can be white or pink and are fragrant. This species can reach up to two feet tall, but is typically seen as a lower-growing mat-forming plant.

Abronia umbellata (Pink Sand Verbena, Beach Sand Verbena, Purple Sand Verbena)
This annual species of Sand Verbena is native to western North America, where it typically grows in sandy, well-draining soils in arid locations. It forms a mat of foliage that serves as a good groundcover and blooms throughout most of the year. Flowers are purple-magenta and fragrant, opening at night to attract nocturnal pollinators like moths.

Abronia villosa (Desert Sand-Verbena, Chaparral Sand-Verbena)
This species is native to sandy areas in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is a stout, hairy annual wildflower that grows in creeping masses of foliage along the ground. Leaves are dull green and flowers are bright magenta to purple-pink, typically blooming between February and May.

caring for Abronia

Plant your Abronia in a space in the landscape that receives full sun; ideally, they appreciate between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for the best blooms. Ensure that soil is well-draining, rich in nutrients, and has a pH of between 5.5 and 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral). These flowering groundcovers are native to sandy, coastal or desert areas and appreciate similar substrate in gardens. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, Abronia plants are very drought-tolerant, persisting in areas that are so dry that many other plants cannot survive. Take note that some of the more coastal-dwelling species in the above list cannot take regular garden water; they need saltwater to grow well. Abronia plants do not need to be fertilized. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flowers to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms. Young plants can have growing tips pinched back for a bushier habit.

Propagation

Abronia can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you are propagating from a cutting, keep in mind that you may need to do some pruning to ensure that your new plant takes on the same form as the parent. To propagate your Sand Verbena, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Abronia by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. The best substrate to propagate Abronia cuttings is a light sandy mix.
In spring or summer choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 4-6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip off all of the lower leaves, leaving the top two on the cutting. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in cool, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home, either outdoors or inside as a house plant. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new plant.

Propagating Abronia by Seed

Keep in mind that the Abronia plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds. When Abronia flowers are spent and the plant has been pollinated, you will notice seed heads begin to form. Once they have dried out, harvest the seeds. Harvest as many as you can, and plant all of them in your tray. They will probably not all sow, and the ones that do may be of varying characteristics. The more seeds you plant, the more chances you will have to get the resulting characteristics you want.
Barely cover the seeds with planting medium (about 3/4 inch down) and keep the soil moist but not wet by spraying it with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 14-21 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home.

Problems and pests

Abronia plants are typically hardy, though they can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape from time to time: