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Big Sagebrush
Artemisia tridentata
  
About Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) 49 Nurseries Carry This Plant Also known by the names Common Sagebrush, Blue/Black Sagebrush or Mountain Sagebrush, it is a shrub or small tree from the family Asteraceae. It is a coarse, hardy silvery-grey bush with inconspicuous yellow-green flowers and grows in arid sections of the western United States and Western Canada. It is the primary vegetation across vast areas of the Great Basin desert and is an indicator species for high desert (above 1,500 ft.). Like others in this genus, it has highly aromatic foliage. Unlike some others of this genus, it develops a true woody trunk and branches. In maturity the twisted trunk can become picturesque and suitable for bonsai treatment. Along rivers or in other relatively wet areas, sagebrush can grow as tall as 3 meters (10 feet), but is more typically 1-2 meters tall.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3 - 15 ft tall
10 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright, Rounded

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate, Slow

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Cream, White, Green

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Numerous insects, birds and small mammals are attracted to the flowers and seeds

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -10° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers coarse, well drained soil such as decomposed granite. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.5

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Groundcovers, Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens

Propagation
Propagation?
Stratified seeds or cuttings.  For propagating by seed: 3-3.5 mos. stratification (USDA Forest Service 1974); 10 wks. may be sufficient (Stidham et al. 1980).

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry valleys, canyons and slopes typically on the east slope of mountain ranges

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.8" - 85.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.12" - 4.47", Coldest Month: 17.4" - 56.0", Hottest Month: 38.7" - 80.7", Humidity: 0.38" - 33.62", Elevation: 53" - 14200"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Big Sagebush


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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