Abronia umbellata var. umbellata

Beach sand verbena

Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Beach sand verbena is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including Sonoma County, central and southern California Coast Ranges, Channel Islands, and southern deserts in sandy coastal dunes and disturbed areas at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering all year, this plant produces stunning light to dark magenta flowers with white throats in clusters of 10 to 27 blooms. Growing with spreading stems that form low, sprawling mats, it creates dense ground cover in coastal environments. Its leaves are fleshy and arranged in opposite pairs, contributing to its ability to thrive in harsh coastal sandy conditions. The flower perianth tube ranges from green to maroon, with a distinctive white spot in the throat that adds visual interest to its delicate magenta blossoms.

Habitat: Disturbed sandy areas, coastal dunes and scrub

Bloom period: All year

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: NCo (Sonoma Co.), CCo, SCo, ChI, DSon

California counties: Orange, Imperial, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Riverside, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.