Artemisia pycnocephala

Coastal sagewort, Coastal Sagewort

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Coastal sagewort is a California native perennial found in the northern and central Coast Ranges in rocky or sandy coastal strand habitats at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces small white to grayish flower heads clustered in dense, narrow panicle-like arrangements. Growing in mounded forms 30 to 70 centimeters tall with decumbent stems, it forms dense white-gray tomentose clumps that are faintly aromatic. Its leaves are finely divided, with proximal leaves having complex 2 to 3-pinnate structure and lobes 1 to 2 millimeters wide, creating a soft, intricate foliage texture. The plant emerges from a taproot, with stems densely covered in soft white-gray hairs that give it a distinctive silvery appearance.

Habitat: Rocky or sandy soils, coastal strand

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo

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