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Big Sagebrush

Artemisia tridentata Nutt.

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

▲ seedling 

▲▼ young plants 

▲▼ mature, flowering plants in Nevada 

▲ plant showing dried flowering stems 

Artemisia tridendata Nutt., Big Sagebrush: (Bayer Code:  ARTTR; US Code ARTR2)

·         Shrub-forming, native perennial that can grow 2-5 feet tall and equally wide

·         Has gray-green leaves that are slender, but wider toward tip, where they have 3 lobes or teeth

·         Leaves have medicinal odor

·         Inflorescences tiny, in axils of leaves on upper portion of stems; pollen can be allergenic, similar to ragweed pollen

·         Found in dry sites, more common in higher elevations and northern prairies and rangeland

·         Tends to increase in overgrazed areas

·         Characteristics to allow distinguishing from similar native species:

     o   Sand sagebrush (A. filifolia) has 3-lobed leaves with linear lobes and linear leaves in upper portions of the plant

     o   Louisiana wormwood (A. ludoviciana) is more common in the central Midwest and has linear lanceolate leaves that are unlobed or with a few shallow but wide (not linear) lobes

     o   Silver sagebrush (A. cana) has slightly wider, generally unlobed or shallowly lobed leaves throughout plant and is more common further north or at higher elevations

     o   Fringed sagebrush (A. frigida) does not produce persistent woody stems as do the other sagebrush mentioned, and its leaves are smaller (less than 1 inch diameter) and very much divided

Native sagebrush/wormwood (Artemisia) species can provide valuable foot and habitat for many wildlife species, and so should not always be considered a weed in the sense that they should be controlled or eradicated.  Proper range management often allows for native species to continue as well as provide adequate grazing for domestic animals.

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Posted 19 January 2019