Flower profile
Snowball sand verbena
Abronia fragrans
Snowball 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 April–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: New Mexico
Quick look
Abronia fragrans, the sweet sand-verbena, snowball sand-verbena, prairie snowball or fragrant verbena, is a species of sand verbena.
- It belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 13 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to New Mexico. NatureServe
- In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 619 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #93 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
Snowball sand verbena gift ideas
Handmade snowball 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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Snowball sand verbena art print
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Snowball sand verbena greeting card
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Snowball sand verbena mug
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Snowball sand verbena earrings
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Snowball sand verbena embroidery pattern
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Snowball sand verbena sticker
When does it bloom?
In New Mexico, most flowering sightings come in April–September.
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
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OK (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
ASPCA's entry “Sand Verbena” (Abronia fragrans) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. 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 snowball sand verbena in 13 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Harding, McKinley, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.
More New Mexico flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ABFR2.
- iNaturalist, Abronia fragrans: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Abronia fragrans (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 fragrans (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
- Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.