Sagebrush

Native Plants for YLP: California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica)

by Patty Groos ("Poppy Patty")

#3 in our “5 for YLP” series, California Sagebrush
(Artemesia californica) is another easy-to-grow, California native plant for your YLP native garden. Virtually deerproof and extremely drought-tolerant, it is beautiful, fragrant and a valuable habitat plant. (More photos below)

California Sagebrush, Artemisia californica

Artemisia californica at the height of spring

California sagebrush (Artemisia californica) is actually a member of the sunflower family Asteraceae, and is not a true sage (sages are members of the mint family Lamiaceae). Pleasantly aromatic and deer resistant, it provides habitat for a variety of smaller birds, including quail and the endangered California gnatcatcher, and insects like moths and butterflies, including the Painted Lady butterfly.
If you look closely at California Sagebrush, you will see that its dense foliage is finely divided. The soft, light green appearance contrasts beautifully with rocks, native sages, and evergreen shrubs. It grows quickly in a rounded form with wand-like stems up to 5’ high x 4’ wide, with subtle yellow flowers in fall.

Baby sagebrush planted Jan. 2021

Artemisia californica is a tough plant that tolerates a variety of soils, and is easy to grow. I planted a few in January that are a light green color now, wanting to provide contrasting color and texture to the many silvery gray sages in my garden, and to create cover for quail. I watered this summer to establish it, and even when mature it looks better with a nice shower every week or two. But California Sagebrush can survive with little or no summer water.

A member of the Coastal Sage Scrub plant community, it feels at home on fast draining, rocky slopes in YLP, and may resent being planted where water collects at its base. You can lightly prune or pinch it back to keep the foliage dense as it grows larger. Its extreme deer resistance owes to the aromatic turpenes in the plant, which make it bitter-tasting. Full sun.

Selections of California Sagebrush available in nurseries:

Canyon Gray softening the edges of a YLP driveway under a Blue Oak.

Canyon Gray Sagebrush (Artemesia californica ‘Canyon Gray’) is a coastal plant that was found growing on San Miguel Island, one of the Channel Islands in California, but has adapted to our interior climate, as long as it has afternoon shade. It grows quickly into a sprawling groundcover that forms a finely textured silvery gray mat, and can be used to cover slopes or cascade over retaining walls or banks. Several of our members have had success with this selection, though you can expect to lose some while others thrive. I think it’s worth trying. Like all California Sagebrush, it is fast growing. Canyon Gray remains low to the ground at 1’-2’ tall, and can grow 4’-10’ wide, making it an excellent plant for large scale ground cover. Like its parent, it is quite drought tolerant and deer resistant. Tolerates many soils, including clay soil that is dry. Afternoon shade here in the Sierra foothills.

Montara makes a stunning specimen

Montara Sagebrush (Artemesia californica ‘Montara’) is a stunning selection, forming a gorgeous mound around 2’-3’ tall and 6’ wide. Several members have had success with this selection, though like Canyon Gray, Montara was named after the location where it was found, Montara Ridge, in Northern California. Not easy to find, but worth it when you do. Extremely drought tolerant and deer resistant. Afternoon shade.