Artemisia tridentata

Artemisia tridentata is one of the most widespread shrubs in North America. It is an important browse for wildlife, and food for birds, sometimes making up 100% of a species' diet during winter. It also is valuable for its cover and thermal properties for many birds. Sagebrush is Nevada's state flower.
Photo Credit: © Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org.
Artemisia tridentata
Common Name: big sagebrush
Plant Functional Group: Drought deciduous broadleaf
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Asterales > Asteraceae
What does the species look like?

Big sagebrush is an evergreen, perennial shrub usually growing to 4 feet tall but ranging between 1.3 to15 tall. Numerous flowers occur along many stalks on the upper part of the plant. The cream-colored to yellow flowers are small and not very showy and each flower contains both male and female parts. Flowering begins when the plants mature at 2 to 3 years of age and the flowers are wind or self-pollinated.

Big sagebrush is a somewhat drought tolerant plant. It grows on a variety of soil types on arid plains, valleys, foothills, and mountains.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, AZ, BC, CA, CO, ID, MA, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Young leaves
One or more young, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "young" and "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from a breaking bud, stem node or growing stem tip, so that the leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the leaf stalk (petiole) or stem, but before the leaf has reached full size or turned the darker green color or tougher texture of mature leaves on the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.

How many young leaves are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Leaves
One or more live, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from a breaking bud, stem node or growing stem tip, so that the leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the leaf stalk (petiole) or stem. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.
More...

What percentage of the potential canopy space is full with leaves? Ignore dead branches in your estimate of potential canopy space.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Colored leaves
One or more leaves show some of their typical late-season color, or yellow or brown due to drought or other stresses. Do not include small spots of color due to minor leaf damage, or dieback on branches that have broken. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves that remain on the plant.
More...

What percentage of the potential canopy space is full with non-green leaf color? Ignore dead branches in your estimate of potential canopy space.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Falling leaves
One or more leaves with typical late-season color, or yellow or brown due to other stresses, are falling or have recently fallen from the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves that remain on the plant for many days before falling.
More...


Flowers Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds or inflorescences that are swelling or expanding, but do not include those that are tightly closed and not actively growing (dormant). Also do not include wilted or dried flowers.
More...

How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.
More...

What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Pollen release
One or more flowers on the plant release visible pollen grains when gently shaken or blown into your palm or onto a dark surface.
More...

How much pollen is released?

  • Little: Only a few grains are released.
  • Some: Many grains are released.
  • Lots: A layer of pollen covers your palm, or a cloud of pollen can be seen in the air when the wind blows

Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Artemisia tridentata, the fruit is very tiny and seed-like and is crowded into a tiny spent flower head. The seed-like fruit changes from whitish-yellow or yellow-green to tannish and drops from the plant. Do not include empty flower heads that have already dropped all of their fruits.
More...

How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Artemisia tridentata, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tannish and readily drops from the spent flower head when touched. Do not include empty flower heads that have already dropped all of their fruits.
More...

What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
More...

How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for big sagebrush (USDA Symbol: ARTR2 )