Sand verbena is

• Perennial with a long woody root that branches with many stems, eight to 36 inches long that are covered with glutinous (sticky) hairs giving them a grayish-white color.
• Inflorescence (flowering part of the plant) is a large fragrant flower ranging in color from pinkish-white to a rosy pink, which grows in clusters of 30 to 40, often filling the air with a perfume smell in the evening.
• No petals, but the five sepals are petal like forming a long funnel form flower.
• Fruit is a dark brown achene (small, dry, indehiscent fruit with a single locule and single, with seed attached to ovary wall) with narrow wings, and wrinkled.
• Grows in deep sand covering dunes, sand hills, along streams and roadsides.

Photo Credit: Terry Wright, USFWS

Not related to the true verbena family, but often found in sandy areas mistaken for a true verbena, hence the name. It is related to the Four o’clock family, Nyctaginaceae.

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connect with the U.S. Dept Agriculture Plant Data Base

Last Updated: 1/14/09

BLOOMING TIMES

April-June: Sand lily

May-June: Ball cactus, Prickly pear

May-July: Scarlet butterfly weed, Prairie evening primrose, Blanket flower, Low daisy

May-August: Blue flax, Wine cup

June-August: Rocky Mountain beeplant, Wavy leaved thistle, Blazing star

June-September: Prairie coneflower, Hairy golden aster, Evening star, Sunflower, Scarlet globemallow

July-September: Black eyed susan, Purple prairie aster

NORTHERN PRAIRIE WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER