Fringed Sagebrush
Fringed Sagebrush
Artemisia frigida Willd.
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)
▲ Seedlings
▲ ▼ new growth arising from older plant in spring
▲ ▼ pre-flowering growth
▲ ▼ pre-flowering growth
▲ ▼ flowering plants
Artemisia frigida Willd., Fringed Sagebrush: (Bayer Code: ARTFR; US Code ARFR2)
- Native, clump-forming perennial that grows 8-18 inches tall
- Has whitish-hairy, triangular or fan-shaped leaves that a deeply lobed
- Leaves have a sage-like or medicinal odor if crushed or bruised
- Produces deep taproots, plus fibrous roots near the surface in higher moisture environments
- Inflorescences whitish, in axils of leaves on upper stems
- Pollen can be allergenic, similar to ragweed
- Found in dry, infertile sites on prairies, rangeland; more common in dryer and colder parts of Midwest
- Tends to increase in overgrazed areas due to low palatability
- Characteristics to allow distinguishing from similar native species:
- Sand sagebrush (A. filifolia) has 3-lobed leaves with linear lobes and linear leaves in upper portions of the plant
- Big sagebrush (A. tridentata) has slightly wider leaves with three short teeth at their leaftips
- Sand sagebrush (A. cana) has slightly wider, generally unlobed or shallowly lobed leaves throughout plant and is more common further north or at higher elevations
- 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.
(Updated January 19, 2019)