Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a dense, silvery-gray shrub with an upright form, growing up to 4 feet tall and wide. Its highly aromatic foliage lasts year-round, and, unlike other sages, it develops a true woody trunk and branches, making it long-lived. In maturity, the twisted trunk adds unique visual appeal. The flowers, small and yellow-green, are often inconspicuous.

This plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, is nitrogen-fixing, and is drought-tolerant. It provides significant wildlife value, attracting a variety of insects, birds, and small mammals with its flowers and seeds.Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a dense, silvery-gray shrub with an upright form, growing up to 4 feet tall and wide. Its highly aromatic foliage lasts year-round, and, unlike other sages, it develops a true woody trunk and branches, making it long-lived. In maturity, the twisted trunk adds unique visual appeal. The flowers, small and yellow-green, are often inconspicuous.

This plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, is nitrogen-fixing, and is drought-adapted. It provides significant wildlife value, attracting a variety of insects, birds, and small mammals with its flowers and seeds.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

3 - 15 ft Tall
10 ft Wide

Form

Upright, Rounded

Growth rate

Moderate, Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Pleasant

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow, Green, Cream, White

Flowering season

Summer

Special uses

Bank stabilization, Groundcover, Hedge

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Very Low, Low

Summer irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Ease of care

Easy

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to -10° F

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil description

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

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).

Site type

Dry valleys, canyons and slopes typically on the east slope of mountain ranges

Plant communities

Coastal Sage Scrub, Joshua Tree Woodland, Northern Juniper Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest

Greenleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula), Parry Manzanita (Arctostaphylos parryana), Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseoua), California Juniper (Juniperus californicus), Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius), Showy (Penstemon spectabilis), Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi), Oneneedle Pine (Pinus monophylla), Antelope Brush (Purshia tridentata) and Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia).

Bats
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

3 confirmed and 29 likely

Confirmed Likely

Nevada Tiger Moth

Apantesis nevadensis

Hera Buckmoth

Hemileuca hera

Acute-lined Flower Moth

Schinia acutilinea

Animomyia smithii