Abronia fragrans, sweet sand-verbena, is an herbaceous perennial with an upright or sprawling growth habit, reaching 8–40 inches (about 20–102 cm).

The flowers consist of 4 to 5 petaloid sepals and sepaloid bracts with a tubular corolla borne in clusters of 25 to 80 at the ends of stems.

[5] The flowers of this plant open in the evening and close again in the morning, a habit which gives the Nyctaginaceae family its common name of four o' clocks.

The separation of the two species is based on variances of several characteristics including the shape of the fruit, the hairiness of various parts of the plants, and rhizomatous spreading.

[5] Sweet sand-verbena occurs in prairies, plains, and savannas where it can be found growing in loose, dry, sandy soils.