Artemisia arbuscula subsp. arbuscula

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Little sagebrush is a California native shrub found in eastern Sierra Nevada and Great Basin regions in clay valleys and mountain slopes at elevations of 1,500 to 3,800 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces small, inconspicuous yellow-green flowers in compact clusters. Growing as a low, dense shrub 30 to 60 centimeters tall with multiple woody stems, it forms tight clumps in harsh mountain environments. Its leaves on flowering stems are shallowly three-lobed, with lower leaves being more divided and upper leaves becoming simpler and entire. The compact, mounded growth habit helps this plant survive in high-elevation, exposed landscapes with challenging soil conditions.

Habitat: Clay soils, valleys, slopes

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 1500-3800 m

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.