Artemisia ludoviciana
white sagebrush
Family AsteraceaeAlso called silver wormwood, western mugwort, prairie sage
About
White sagebrush is a silvery, rhizomatous perennial found across much of North America, culturally important to many Indigenous peoples and grown as an ornamental.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Full sun.
- Water
- Dry to medium moisture.
- Soil
- Well-drained soil.
- Growth rate
- Spreads by rhizomes and can become aggressive.
- Mature size
- 0.3–1 m tall.
- Hardiness
- Cultivars 'Valerie Finnis' and 'Silver Queen' hardy to USDA zone 4.
Field notes
Morphology
Rhizomatous perennial 0.3–1 m tall with linear leaves up to 11 cm long; stems and foliage are woolly grey or white. Narrow spikes of nodding heads about 5 mm wide with yellowish disc florets bloom from July to October.
Distribution & habitat
Widespread across most of the United States, Canada and Mexico on dry slopes, canyons, open pine woods and dry prairies; eastern US populations may be introduced.
Cultivation notes
Grown for its silver foliage; can spread aggressively by rhizomes. Needs full sun and well-drained soil that is dry to moderately moist. 'Valerie Finnis' (RHS Award of Garden Merit) and 'Silver Queen' are hardy to USDA zone 4.
History & etymology
The name ludoviciana is the Latin form of Louisiana.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States, Canada, Mexico
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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