Amelia's Sand Verbena is a perennial herb that grows to about 18 inches tall. It is a member of the verbena family and blooms from March through June.
The stems of this plant have a sticky feel about them and are covered with coarse and stiff hairs. Each flower head is about 2 inches across, each consisting of about 40 tiny flowers. It is quite showy with its bright purple color. They can be found growing in open woodlands or along the roadside. Amelia's Sand Verbena is only found in Texas. Another name for this wildflower is Heart's Delight. It is loved by nectar seeking moths, butterflies and insects.
This beautiful flower was named by Dr. Cyrus Longworth Lundell (1907-1994). He named it after his wife, Amelia Lundell. At Southern Methodist University Mrs. Lundell organized the herbarium and was founder and director of the Texas Research Foundation at Renner.
"A stone is heavier, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both."
Proverbs 27:3
1 comment:
This isn't correct in a couple spots - Abronia ameliae is not in the verbena family (it is a 4 o'clock), and further, it is not the pictured plant (which is a true verbena, I think - but that is not an Abronia, for sure)
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