Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi
Silver sagebrush, Silver Sagebrush
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi (Silver sagebrush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by white-felty stems and deciduous leaves distinguish from evergreen sages.
Silver sagebrush is a California native shrub found in the Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and southern Sierra Nevada Foothills in gravelly soils, meadows, and streambanks at elevations of 1,200 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from September to October, this plant produces small white to cream-colored flower heads in tight clusters approximately 5 millimeters in diameter. Growing up to 90 centimeters tall with a woody trunk, it features distinctively white-felty stems that give the plant a soft, silvery appearance. Its leaves are linear to narrowly lanceolate, winter-deciduous, measuring 3 to 4 centimeters long and generally entire in shape. The shrub produces numerous disk flowers and is characterized by densely hairy phyllaries that create a delicate, textured appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; white-felty stems and deciduous leaves distinguish from evergreen sages
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly soils, meadows, streambanks
Elevation: 1200-3300 m
Outside California: to Oregon, Nevada
Bloom period
Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi blooms Sep-Oct.
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 cana subsp. bolanderi native to California?
Yes. Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi bloom?
Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi blooms Sep-Oct.
What plant family does Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi belong to?
Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi is in the Asteraceae family, genus Artemisia.
What habitat does Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi grow in?
Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi grows in Gravelly soils, meadows, streambanks.
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.