Artemisia spinescens
Budsage
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Artemisia spinescens (Budsage) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by thorny branches and palmately divided round leaves.
Budsage is a California native shrub found in the Sonoran Borderlands, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert in clay or gravelly, often saline soils at elevations of 650 to 2,050 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pale yellow to white flowers in tiny heads 2 to 3 millimeters wide, arranged in flat-topped or ball-like clusters. Growing as a stout, mound-like shrub up to 3 decimeters tall, it develops thorny old branches and is pungently aromatic. Its leaves are palmately divided into 2 to 5 linear or spoon-shaped segments, densely covered in soft hairs and creating a round overall shape. The fruit is a small, hairy obovoid seed 1 to 1.5 millimeters long with obscure ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species; thorny branches and palmately divided round leaves are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Clay or gravelly, often saline soils, saltbush scrub
Elevation: 650-2050 m
Outside California: to Oregon, Montana, New Mexico
Bloom period
Artemisia spinescens blooms Apr-Jun.
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 spinescens native to California?
Yes. Artemisia spinescens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Artemisia spinescens bloom?
Artemisia spinescens blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Artemisia spinescens belong to?
Artemisia spinescens is in the Asteraceae family, genus Artemisia.
What habitat does Artemisia spinescens grow in?
Artemisia spinescens grows in Clay or gravelly, often saline soils, saltbush scrub.
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.