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

Flower profile

Snowball sand verbena

Abronia fragrans

Snowball sand verbena (Abronia fragrans) is a flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native to New Mexico

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

13states where USDA records it
619NM sightings*
1,783U.S. sightings*

*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
  • iNaturalist has 619 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #93 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”) (36 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
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?

For peopleNot well documented

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

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

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.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 170 counties across 13 states; the most are in Texas (37), Colorado (28), Utah (27).

Other Abronia on Bloomipedia (2): Great basin 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 New Mexico flowers

Colorado Four o'Clock (Mirabilis multiflora)

Colorado Four o'Clock

Mirabilis multiflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: June–October
Purple sand verbena (Abronia angustifolia)

Purple sand verbena

Abronia angustifolia

Native

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

Trailing windmills

Allionia incarnata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: April–October

Sources