Abronia Villosa, Desert Sand Verbena is a low growing, flowering, groundcover that spreads and flowers into a thick mat after heavy winter precipitation. Often covering acres at a time in the wild. A heat, sand and sun loving plant native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts from Northern Mexico to Southern Utah and Nevada. Extremely drought and heat tolerant, they also tolerate poor, salty-sandy soil. This Abronia variety has a very pleasant aroma, filling the room and making the house feel like Spring. It isn't as durable as other groundcovers, like creeping thyme, for example, but its fragrance is not 'sharp' like artemisia can be and adds mounds of visual interest.
Begins blooming Mar-June with bright purple bunches of small tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and unique bees.
They will bloom later in the cooler zones but will bloom all growing season. In the hotter zones they will bloom in the early Spring and Fall or after periods of heavy rain like after summer monsoons. Leaves are sparse but unique and vibrant, adding nice contrast to the pinkish, soft-hair covered stems.
Sand Verbena is an excellent choice for xeriscapes, crevice gardens, pollinators gardens, annual groundcover, or mass plantings. Growing around 4" tall and 36" wide, with flowers stalks 10 inches tall, forming a carpet the more water it receives but needs very little water.
Try planting in a rock or crevice garden where it can wrap up and over rocks while it soaks up the heat, or as displayed as a potted ornamental.
Plant with taller cacti, yucca and sagebrush for a beautiful xeric native yard. Looks particularly nice next to the cheery yellow flowers of Desert Marigold.
Please reach out with any questions or if you would like planting instructions messaged. Abronia can be difficult to germinate. Plant with excellent drainage, if potted, potting mix should be 65-75% play sand and the rest compost or potting soil.