Bloomipedia
Great basin sand verbena (Abronia elliptica)
Photo: Robbie Hannawacker via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Great basin sand verbena

Abronia elliptica

Great basin sand verbena (Abronia elliptica) is a flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native to Utah

Great basin sand verbena is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Utah it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

6states where USDA records it
1,820UT sightings*
2,317U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Utah

Quick look

Abronia elliptica, the western sand-verbena or fragrant white sand-verbena, is a species in the four o'clock family native to the western United States.

  • 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 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah. NatureServe
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,820 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #18 among the 153 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Utah, most flowering sightings come in April–May.

Flowering records by month in Utah (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (175 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ID (S1). (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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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 great basin sand verbena in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Abronia pumila, Abronia ramosa, Abronia salsa.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 27 counties across 5 states; the most are in Colorado (9), Wyoming (7), Nevada (6).

Other Abronia on Bloomipedia (2): Snowball sand verbena, Purple sand verbena.

More from the Nyctaginaceae family (9 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Wishbone bush, Trailing windmills, Marvel of Peru, Wild Four o'Clock, Colorado Four o'Clock, Scarlet spiderling, Bougainvillea.

More Utah flowers

Colorado Four o'Clock (Mirabilis multiflora)

Colorado Four o'Clock

Mirabilis multiflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–September
Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha)

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–June
Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

Showy milkweed

Asclepias speciosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: June–August

Sources