Abronia pogonantha
Mohave sand verbena
(c) My-Lan Le, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Abronia pogonantha (Mohave sand verbena) is a native California herb in the Nyctaginaceae family, recognized by heart-shaped fruit with sinus diagnostic.
Mohave sand verbena is a California native annual found in southern San Joaquin Valley, southern Great Basin, eastern Mojave Desert, and Mojave Desert/Sierra Nevada regions on sandy desert landscapes at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to pink flowers with a reddish perianth tube, clustered in groups of 12 to 24 blooms. Growing with decumbent to ascending glandular-hairy stems 10 to 55 centimeters long, it spreads across sandy ground with a sprawling habit. Its leaves are ovate to oblong-ovate, measuring 1.5 to 5.5 centimeters long and 1 to 3 centimeters wide, with petioles 0.8 to 4 centimeters in length. The fruit is 4 to 6 millimeters long with broadly obcordate wings and a distinctive sinus at the top between the wings.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species - heart-shaped fruit with sinus diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sand, desert communities
Elevation: < 2000 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Fresno, Riverside, Inyo, San Benito, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Merced, Kings, Mono
Outside California: western Nevada
Bloom period
Abronia pogonantha blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Lantana: Abronia flowers have no true petals (colorful sepals); Lantana has small tubular flowers with 4-5 petals.; vs Calystegia: Abronia has small flowers in dense rounded heads; Calystegia has large solitary funnel-shaped flowers.; vs Verbena: Abronia flowers are in dense rounded heads on trailing stems; Verbena has flowers in spikes.; vs Mirabilis: Abronia flowers lack the cup of fused bracts; Mirabilis has 5 bracts forming a cup around flowers.; vs Glandularia: Abronia has dense rounded flower heads and thick-winged fruits; Glandularia has spiked clusters and dry capsules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Abronia pogonantha native to California?
Yes. Abronia pogonantha is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Abronia pogonantha bloom?
Abronia pogonantha blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Abronia pogonantha grow?
Abronia pogonantha occurs in San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Fresno, Riverside, Inyo, San Benito, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of < 2000 m.
What plant family does Abronia pogonantha belong to?
Abronia pogonantha is in the Nyctaginaceae family, genus Abronia.
What habitat does Abronia pogonantha grow in?
Abronia pogonantha grows in Sand, desert communities.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.