Fringed sagebrush

Artemisia frigida

Distinctive mat-forming subshrub from 4-16 in. tall with grey-green velvety evergreen leaves, flowering June to September. Prefers coarse, shallow, arid soils of regularly disturbed sites; 2,000 to 11,500 ft. elevation. Rhizomatous, readily sprouting after fire and disturbance. Most widely distributed of all the sagebrush species, occurring throughout the northern hemisphere from cold boreal regions to the central grasslands; also in sagebrush steppe and woodland communities. Thrives along ditches and streambanks. Moderately browsed by native ungulates in winter and spring. Important food source for small mammals and birds, including sage-grouse and greater prairie-chickens. Attractive and pleasantly aromatic, increasingly used in xeriscape landscaping.