Desert Sand Verbena...

When most people talk about the desert wildflowers, the Desert Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa), or just Sand Verbena, is what they're thinking of. I like the Sand Verbena, but it's far from my favorite wildflower – and I actually prefer it when individual plants are on display, rather than the verbena carpets that appear in some areas – such as further north, especially around Borrego Springs, where many acres of desert floor are covered with verbena after a good rain. Down in the southern part of the park it's not quite so abundant, but there's plenty of it nonetheless. We found the best displays about a mile and a half east of S-2 on South Carrizo Creek Road (4WD), in an area with a relatively large, flat expanse of sandy wash.

As its name implies, the Sand Verbena likes to live on sand. Because shoulders of paved roads in the desert are often made of sand, it is frequently found there. Any sandy desert wash is also prime territory for it. The Sand Verbena's leaves are covered with fine, short, and very sticky hairs. In the photo above, you can see the individual sand grains sticking tightly to the hairs. There must be some advantage conveyed by the sand, or evolution wouldn't have favored it (producing the sticky stuff must incur a cost). Perhaps the sand helps weigh the leaf down, making it better able to survive windy periods? Or perhaps the sand helps keep the plant cool?