Bloomipedia
Purple sand verbena (Abronia angustifolia)
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Purple sand verbena

Abronia angustifolia

Purple sand verbena (Abronia angustifolia) is a flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to New Mexico

Purple sand verbena is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

3states where USDA records it
785NM sightings*
880U.S. sightings*

*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
  • iNaturalist has 785 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #74 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in New Mexico (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (39 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
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?

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 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.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Abronia torreyi.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 16 counties across 3 states; the most are in Arizona (7), Texas (7), New Mexico (2).

Other Abronia on Bloomipedia (2): Great basin sand verbena, Snowball 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 New Mexico flowers

Colorado Four o'Clock (Mirabilis multiflora)

Colorado Four o'Clock

Mirabilis multiflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: June–October
Snowball sand verbena (Abronia fragrans)

Snowball sand verbena

Abronia fragrans

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NM
Trailing windmills (Allionia incarnata)

Trailing windmills

Allionia incarnata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: April–October

Sources