Artemisia arbuscula
Low sagebrush, Low Sagebrush
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Artemisia arbuscula (Low sagebrush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family.
Low sagebrush is a California native shrub found in alpine and subalpine regions at elevations suitable for its compact growth. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces small discoid flower heads 2 to 4.5 millimeters in diameter arranged in narrow, panicle-like clusters. Growing as a mounded, gray evergreen shrub less than 30 centimeters tall, it develops much-branched stems with a distinctive compact form. Its leaves are wedge-shaped, 3 to 9 millimeters long, typically three-lobed with a gray-green coloration and fine hairiness. The plant produces tiny fruits less than one millimeter long, lightly dotted with resin glands and colored a pale brown.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated from all congeners
How to tell it apart
vs Salvia: Artemisia has tiny clustered flower heads in the sunflower family; Salvia has two-lipped tubular flowers in the mint family with square stems.; vs Ambrosia: Artemisia has fused anthers and typically silvery foliage; Ambrosia has free anthers and often deeply lobed green leaves.; vs Ericameria: Artemisia is aromatic with inconspicuous greenish heads lacking rays; Ericameria has bright yellow daisy-like heads with showy ray petals.; vs Pseudognaphalium: Artemisia has no seed bristles and woody stems; Pseudognaphalium has fluffy white pappus bristles and soft herbaceous stems.; vs Eschscholzia: Artemisia has tiny greenish clustered flower heads; Eschscholzia has large showy orange or yellow poppy flowers with 4 petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Artemisia arbuscula native to California?
Yes. Artemisia arbuscula is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Artemisia arbuscula belong to?
Artemisia arbuscula is in the Asteraceae family, genus Artemisia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.