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Abronia fragrans

Common name:	Snowball Sand Verbena	Family:	Nyctaginaceae
Author:	Nutt.	Botanical references:	60, 200, 274
Synonyms:	Abronia speciosa
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	South-western N. America - South Dakota to Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and Mexico
Habitat:	Dry sandy soils[60, 235].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	A. fragrans var. glaucescens[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Heart's-delight [B], Snowball Sand Verbena [P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	fragrans = fragrant
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Caryophyllales. Four o'clock family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m by 0.8m . It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from June to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Root.

Root - cooked[46]. Dried then ground into a powder and mixed with corn[61, 105, 161]. Use of the root was said by some North American Indian tribes to give one a good appetite and make them fat[257].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Cathartic Diaphoretic Emetic.

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[257]. A cold infusion was used as a lotion for sores or sore mouths and also to bathe perspiring feet[257].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a light well-drained sandy soil in full sun[200].
This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it should succeed outdoors in the southern part of the country, especially if given a warm sheltered site[200].
The flowers are produced in terminal clusters, they only open in the coolness of the evening, diffusing a vanilla-like perfume[245].
Seed is rarely ripened on plants growing in Britain[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow autumn or early spring very shallowly in pots of sandy soil in a greenhouse[133]. Germination can be very slow unless you peel off the outer skin and pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water[200, 245]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 15° c[133]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Seedlings are prone to damp off and so should be kept well-ventilated[200]. Plant out in late spring, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings in spring, rooted in sand[200].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are sweetly scented[274].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[V] Images from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Nyctaginaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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