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Silver Sagebrush

Artemisia cana Pursh.

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family

▲ young plant

▲▼ early summer growth

▲▼ plants on prairie at Little Bighorn National Monument

▲ mature plant

▲ closer view of leaves on mature plant

Artemisia cana Pursh, Silver Sagebrush: (Bayer Code:  ARTCN; US Code ARCA13)

·         Native, simple perennial, semi-woody plant with upright, white-woolly stems growing 1-3 feet tall

·         Leaves are linear, sometimes with a few shallow lobes near the leaf tip, and white-woolly due to pubescence

·         Leaves have nice medicinal odor

·         Flowers tiny, yellow, inconspicuous in axils of leaves in upper portions of the plant

·         Found in dry and sandy soils in upper Midwest, mainly in prairie, rangeland

·         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   Big sagebrush (A. tridentata )has slightly wider leaves with three short teeth at their leaftips

     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

     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

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