Sand Verbena — (c) Arches National Park, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Photo by (c) Arches National Park, some rights reserved (CC BY)iNaturalistCC BY
cat safety reference

Is Sand Verbena safe for cats?

Abronia fragrans

Sand Verbena is a fragrant, drought-tolerant perennial native to the central and western United States, often found in sandy soils. It is considered non-toxic to pets, though large ingestions of any fibrous plant material may cause minor digestive upset.

Abronia fragransSnowball Sand VerbenaSweet Sand Verbena
Light
Full sun
Habit
Trailing or mounding
Care
Low

Safety status

Cats

Uncertain

Identity or evidence quality is not strong enough for a firm answer.

Verified against ASPCA/provenance audit 2026-05-06 on May 6, 2026.

What this means for your cat

Cats: ASPCA lists Sand Verbena as non-toxic to cats. Don't confuse it with Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora) or with Lantana — those are toxic. Abronia fragrans is the white-flowered prairie wildflower; it sits on ASPCA's safe-for-cats list.

What to watch for

ASPCA reports no toxic principle, so no symptoms are expected from this plant specifically. As with any plant chew, a one-off bout of vomiting or soft stool from fibrous material is possible and self-limiting.

Time window

Onset and duration are not documented because the plant is non-toxic. Any incidental GI upset would typically resolve within 24 hours.

When to call the vet

Call your vet if you're not sure your cat ate Sand Verbena versus a toxic verbena lookalike, or if vomiting persists past one episode. No urgent threshold is documented for Abronia fragrans.

Sources: ASPCA.

If a pet has chewed or swallowed plant material and is showing symptoms, contact a veterinarian or poison resource immediately. This product is for structured reference, not diagnosis.

Catsconcern notes

Common signs

Under review — original classification flagged as a likely labeler error pending curator verification.

Escalation note

Under review — original classification flagged as a likely labeler error pending curator verification.

Safer alternatives

No hand-picked alternatives for this plant yet. You can still pick your own using the Compare button on any other plant.

Source evidence

ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List

toxicology · 99% reliability

Open source

Sand Verbena is listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs.

Plants of the World Online - Abronia fragrans

botanical · 95% reliability

Open source

Accepted scientific name and distribution data for Abronia fragrans.

Cats & dogs pagedogs page

Same cat verdict

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