Yellow or Coastal Sand Verbena, (Abronia latifolia). This plant puts deep roots into the sand dunes of Lanphere Dunes Preserve, Arcata, California. The plant helps stabilize the moving dunes, causing sand to form a mound where the plant grows profusely. As the sand accumulates, the plant extends its thick root upwards to keep up with the rising surface. The Lanphere Dunes Preserve is a biologically rich habitat now protected as the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. May 2008