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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Artemisia cana

Artemisia cana Pursh

Silver Sagebrush, Coaltown Sagebrush, Dwarf Sagebrush, Hoary Sagebrush, Silvery Sagebrush

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: ARCA13

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)

A low, rounded, freely branching, aromatic evergreen shrub growing 1-5 ft. in height. Leaves and branches are silvery gray. The yellow, summer flowers are inconspicuous. Imparts a graceful, wispy appearance when grown in masses.

The similar Sand Sagebrush (A. filifolia) is a 3' (1 m) tall, erect shrub with linear (occasionally lobed) leaves and 2" (5 cm) flower spikes; it grows on sandy plains, from Nevada and Arizona east to Texas and South Dakota.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall, often shorter.
Leaf: Gray-Green
Autumn Foliage: yes
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AK , AZ , CA , CO , ID , MN , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , OR , SD , UT , WY
Canada: AB , BC , MB , SK
Native Distribution: B.C. to Sask., s. to n. CA, UT & NM
Native Habitat: Rocky, open grasslands; floodplains; mt. forests from 6000-10,500 ft.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: Periodic pruning to remove old stems rejuvenates plants. Susceptible to root rot if too wet. Pollen is a cause of hayfever.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FACU FACU FACU FACU FACU
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 37 - Calscape (2019) California Native Plant Society
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Artemisia cana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Artemisia cana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Artemisia cana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-11-22
Research By: TWC Staff

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