Copyright. J.R. Manhart

Sand Verbena
Abronia fragrans  Nutt.

Annual plant with fleshy leaves, opposite on sticky rambling stems.  The stems grow from 8 inches to 3 feet long. The flowers are white or pinkish, 5-lobed tubular, fragrant with apery bracts below.  The flowers are produced in terminal clusters, they only open in the coolness of the evening, diffusing a vanilla-like perfume. It bloom throughout the summer.

Uses
Food: The root is cooked, dried, ground into a powder and mixed with corn. Use of the root was said by some North American Indian tribes to give one a good appetite and make them fat.

Medical: The plant is cathartic, diaphoretic and emetic[257]. The roots and flowers were used by the North American Indians to treat stomach cramps and as a general panacea or 'life' medicine. A cold infusion was used as a lotion for sores or sore mouths and also to bathe perspiring feet[2.

Planting: Prefers a light well-drained sandy soil in full sun. Cutting should be made in the early spring and rooted in sand

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