# Pink Sand Verbena (*Abronia umbellata*) The Pink Sand Verbena is a beautiful flower that grows in sandy coastal areas. Its bright pink flowers bloom in clusters and attract butterflies and bees, making it a lovely sight in nature. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Pink Sand Verbena](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Abronia_umbellata.jpg&width=800) Photo: Franco Folini from San Francisco, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abronia_umbellata.jpg) ## Appearance The Pink Sand Verbena is a low-growing plant featuring bright rose-pink to magenta trumpet-shaped flowers, tightly clustered into showy, globe-like heads. Its thick, somewhat sticky, grey-green leaves create a striking contrast against the vibrant blooms, often forming a spreading mat on sandy surfaces. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Nyctaginaceae - **Genus:** Abronia ## Interesting facts - Even though it's called a verbena, it belongs to the amazing Four O'Clock flower family! - Its beautiful flowers often release a sweet perfume, especially as the sun goes down! - Its scientific name, Abronia, means "delicate," but it's super tough in sandy conditions! - The tiny seeds have special papery wings that help them fly on ocean breezes! ## Special abilities - **Salt-Proof Skin:** Pink Sand Verbena has special glands that help it excrete excess salt, allowing it to thrive near the salty ocean. - **Water Tank Leaves:** Its thick, succulent-like leaves can store precious water, helping it survive dry spells in sandy, well-draining soils. - **Deep Drinker Root:** Pink Sand Verbena grows a long taproot to reach deep underground water, staying hydrated in challenging sandy habitats. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 30-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-6 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding flower reproduction. - **Eats:** [Deer mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — Consumes the seeds of the plant. - **Eaten by:** [Mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browses the leaves and stems of the plant. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Salt Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/salt-tolerant): Salt tolerant plants can withstand and grow in conditions with elevated salinity levels in the soil or water. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pink Sand Verbena? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Pink Sand Verbena? 10-30 cm ### How wide does Pink Sand Verbena spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on Pink Sand Verbena? 3-6 cm ### When does Pink Sand Verbena bloom? Spring to fall ### Is Pink Sand Verbena edible? No ### Is Pink Sand Verbena toxic? None ### What is Pink Sand Verbena's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Point Dume State Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/point-dume-state-beach) — California, US · State Park - [Sunset State Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sunset-state-beach) — California, US · State Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Pink Sand Verbena: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pink-sand-verbena)