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Abronia villosa

Desert Sand Verbena · Hairy Sand Verbena

Family NyctaginaceaeGenus Abronia

Clusters of pink trumpet flowers with white eyes, sprawling over desert sand
FlowerStan ShebsCC BY-SA 3.0

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, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

40% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Abronia p. 82Public domain
Show the original text
A. villosa germ. 40% in 4-6 d in 70D or 70L and 40% in 3rd w at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Abronia p. 82. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 30, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. 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.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Abronia p. 82Public domain
Show the original text
A. villosa germ. 40% in 4-6 d in 70D or 70L and 40% in 3rd w at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Abronia p. 82. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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