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Big Sagebrush

Artemisia tridentata

The defining shrub of the Intermountain West, perfuming millions of acres with its silvery, three-toothed evergreen leaves. Essential habitat for sage-grouse, pygmy rabbits, and pronghorn. Leaves season food and brew into a tea; the small oily seeds have been roasted and ground into a meal. Skin contact with this genus can cause dermatitis in sensitive people.

Family

Asteraceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

4–4 ft

Spacing

3–8 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

June, July, August, September, October, November

Bloom colors

yellow

Wildlife value

songbirds, mammals

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen, foundation

Native states

AZ, CA, CO, ID, MA, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY