Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Dry plains and foothills to the subalpine, but not in lithosol or alkaline soil.
Flowers: July-September
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Wind
Erect, branching, aromatic shrub, 4-20 dm. tall, the leaves and young branches covered with fine, grey hairs.
Leaves persisting through the winter, narrowly wedge-shaped, 1.5-5 cm. long, 3-toothed at the apex, the upper ones narrower and mostly entire.
Heads numerous, sessile, in a loose, elongate panicle, 1.5-7 cm. wide; involucre 3-5 mm. high, covered with fine, grey hairs; corollas all tubular, fertile, all perfect, yellowish, mostly 3-5, occasionally more; receptacle without hairs; pappus none.
Achenes glabrous.
Publication: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 398. 1841.
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ssp. tridentata – big sagebrush
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains. -
ssp. vaseyana – mountain big sagebrush, Vasey sagebrush Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
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ssp. wyomingensis – Wyoming sagebrush Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Artemisia tridentata in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Artemisia tridentata checklist entry
OregonFlora: Artemisia tridentata information
E-Flora BC: Artemisia tridentata atlas page
CalPhotos: Artemisia tridentata photos
