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Native Plant Database

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Abronia ameliae (Amelia's sand verbena)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Abronia ameliae Lundell

Amelia's sand verbena, Heart’s delight, Amelia's sand-verbena, Sand verbena

Nyctaginaceae (Four-O'clock Family)

USDA Symbol: ABAM2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This beautiful flower which grows on the sandy prairies of South Texas is not, as the common name implies, a member of the Verbena Family. The plants are 12–18 inches tall, branched and sometimes sprawling, and sticky or gummy all over. Stems are coarse and hairy. Leaves are opposite, 1–2 inches long and two-thirds as wide, and wavy on the edges with a stem 1/2–1 1/4 inches long. A flower stem grows out of each pair of leaves. The orchid flowers grow in umbel-like round clusters, 2 inches across with 40 or more individual florets. The florets are 1 inch long, tubular, with 5 petal-like lobes, each deeply cut and very delicate. There are 3–5 stamens. When the flower goes to seed it looks like a cushion filled with pin.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Flower: Flowers in 2 inch heads
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: TX
Native Habitat: Open woodlands, Roadsides
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Blooms ornamental, Planned landscape, Garden, Showy, Color
Use Wildlife: Nectar-Butterflies, Nectar-Moths, Nectar-insects
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Fall-sown seed

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1010 Collected 2011-04-06 in Brooks County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Abronia ameliae in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Abronia ameliae in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Abronia ameliae

Metadata

Record Modified: 2013-04-22
Research By: TWC Staff

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