Flower profile
Purple sand verbena
Abronia angustifolia
Purple sand verbena is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In New Mexico it's most often seen in bloom in March–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: New Mexico
Quick look
Abronia angustifolia, also known as narrow-leaf sand verbena, is a perennial herbaceous plant recognized for its distinctive narrow, linear leaves, hence the name angustifolia and clusters of small, tubular flowers that are typically pink or purplish.
- It belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to New Mexico. NatureServe
- In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 785 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #74 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
Purple sand verbena gift ideas
Handmade purple sand verbena gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Purple sand verbena art print
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Purple sand verbena greeting card
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Purple sand verbena mug
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Purple sand verbena earrings
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Purple sand verbena embroidery pattern
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Purple sand verbena sticker
When does it bloom?
In New Mexico, most flowering sightings come in March–October.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Abronia fragrans (“Sand Verbena”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records purple sand verbena in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Dona Ana, Otero.
More New Mexico flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ABAN.
- iNaturalist, Abronia angustifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Abronia angustifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Abronia angustifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.