Abronia villosa
Desert Sand Verbena · Hairy Sand Verbena

About the plant
What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.
The plant
- Habit
- annualPlants of the World Online
- Habit
- Annual, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
- Height
- 4-12 in10-30 cmNotes from web searches
- Spread
- 24 in60 cmNotes from web searches
- Flower
- Rounded inflorescences of bright magenta or purplish-pink flowersNotes from web searches
- Blooms
- February to MayNotes from web searches
- Native range
- Arizona, California, Mexico Northwest, Nevada, UtahGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
- Hardiness zones
- 8-10Notes from web searches
- Note
- This species is extremely drought-tolerant; warm temperate to subtropical climatesNotes from web searches
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sunNotes from web searches
- Soil
- Sandy and dry soil conditionsNotes from web searches
- Soil pH
- 6-8Notes from web searches
- Organic matter
- LowNotes from web searches
- Moisture
- Minimal moisture once established; do not overwaterNotes from web searches
- Watering
- Little to no irrigationNotes from web searches
Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.
Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Notes from web searches — Amir Abed; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Worth knowing
- Abronia comes from the Greek abros, "graceful or delicate", and villosa means "hairy". Desert sand-verbena grows in sandy places in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Wikipedia: Abronia villosa
This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.
Protocol 1
DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993Difficulty Moderate
Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.
Sow and cover
Temperature: 40°F 4°C
No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.
40% germination in 21 days.
Protocol 2
DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993Difficulty Moderate
Start around March 30, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.
Sow and cover
Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: either
Light made no difference: the same 40% in dark and in light.
No stated waiting before sowing. Then 6 days to germinate.
40% germination in 4–6 days.
How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.
Germination trials
Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials
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