Abronia villosa var. villosa

Desert sand verbena

Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Desert sand verbena is a California native annual found in southern desert regions in sandy places within creosote-bush scrub at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from February to July, this plant produces pink to magenta flowers in rounded clusters with perianth tubes 1.3 to 2 centimeters long and flower heads 6 to 12 millimeters wide. Growing with spreading stems that form low, sprawling mats across sandy ground, it creates delicate, web-like ground cover. Its small, oval leaves are arranged oppositely along the stems, providing a soft green backdrop to the vibrant flower clusters. The fruit features a prominently wrinkled body that appears distinctly pitted, adding textural interest to the plant's delicate structure.

Habitat: Sandy places in creosote-bush scrub

Bloom period: Feb-Jul

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: D

California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, Los Angeles, San Diego, Kern, Inyo

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