Fragrant sand-verbena is a herbaceous perennial in the four o'clock family (Nyctaginaceae), a family distinguished by its habit of flowering late in the day. The plant is typically found in dry sandy soils, woodlands, open areas, sandy plains, meadows and pastures at elevations of 1,300 to 6,500 feet in the central to western United States. The plant grows 1 to 3 feet tall and has an upright to sprawling habit. It prefers part shade in dry sandy well-drained soils. It is very drought-tolerant. It sprawls along the ground with sticky hairy stems and has upright flower stems with showy balls of fragrant white flowers that are sometimes green, lavender or pink. The flowers open in the late afternoon, stay open all night, and then close in the morning. It can be planted in rock gardens where its blooms can attract butterflies. Also used as a groundcover, in night gardens, along woodlands and in native gardens. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheHalesia carolinaPetunia x hybridaSalvia 'Amistad'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Long-lasting
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The 3 inch long and 1 1/2 inch wide leaves are bright green, with a reddish tint at the base. They are very hairy especially at the lower surface of the leaf.
Flower color
Green; Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Showy white, (sometimes, pink, purple or green) heads are 2 inches across and bloom from April to September. Numerous blossoms are held in ball-shaped clusters at the ends of the sticky-hairy, branched stems. Each flower is an elongated trumpet shape – a long narrow tube topped by five small lobes. The base of the tube are pink and the sepals may also have a pink tint. Beneath the flower head, at the top of the stem are five thin yellowish-green bracts. The flowers only open in the cool evening and give off a fragrance of vanilla.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
Egg-shaped achenes about 0.1 of an inch long, lustrous, and black or brown. The achene is enclosed within a leathery top-shaped calyx base which may or may not be winged.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Thick sticky stems are covered with short hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central United States to Mexico
Distribution
AZ , CO , KS , MT , ND , NE , NM , OK , SD , TX , UT , WY
Wildlife value
Flowers attract butterflies.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans used the Sand-verbena flowers and roots for stomach and bowel problems and, when cooked and ground into a powder, mixed with corn. It was named a ‘life’ medicine that could be used to give one a good appetite and make one fat. A cold infusion was used as a lotion for mouth sores and to bathe hot tired feet.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Rock Wall; Slope/Bank; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Garden for the Blind; Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Mass Planting
Garden tags
#flowers late spring #flowers early summer #showy flowers #rock garden #nectar plant #flowers early spring #flowers mid-summer #white flowers #flowers early fall #flowers late summer #butterfly friendly #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #flowers mid-spring #wildlife friendly #meadow #woodland