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Nyctaginaceae
Pink Sand Verbena
Abronia umbellata
Coastal freedom and tenacious beauty.
- Family
- Nyctaginaceae
- Genus
- Abronia
- Native to
- western North America coastal regions
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- trailing perennial
- Height
- 10–25 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, well-drained
- Water
- low; drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- 8–10
- Lifespan
- short-lived perennial
Did you know
- It grows on beach dunes from British Columbia to Baja California, trailing across pure sand with no other plants nearby.
- The fragrant flowers open in late afternoon and evening to attract hawk moth pollinators.
- Each 'flower' is actually a cluster of 15–25 tiny tubular flowers arranged in a ball-shaped head.
- The winged seed husks catch ocean breezes and tumble along the beach, colonizing new dune areas.
- Coastal development and invasive grasses have made it rare in many former habitats, and it is a conservation priority in Oregon.
Color meanings
Pink
windswept grace
Magenta
resilient spirit