Sand Verbena (Abronia latifolia) is a species of the Four O'Clock Family (Nyctaginaceae) native to the west coast of North America, from Santa Barbara County to the Canadian border, where it grows on beach dunes and sand dunes of coastal bars, river mouths, spits along the immediate coastline (0-10m elevation). Its National Vegetation Community Status (NVCS) is the Ambrosia chamissonis herbaceous alliance (dune mat). It grows in succulent mats where it has room to spread. It is an important plant in helping to stabilize dunes and resist erosion. It grows from a stout, fleshy root structure which are edible, traditionally eaten by the Chinook Indians. When stressed it will die back to the root, to sprout again when conditions are more favorable. It has attractive neatly-rounded heads of small, bright golden flowers and small, winged fruits. The individual flowers have no petals being composed of yellow bracts forming a trumpet-shaped calyx about the stamens. If given the proper conditions it will flower most of the year. It is geared for salt spray and will not tolerate regular water nor extreme drought.