Virginia Tech Dendrology

coastal sagebrush Asteraceae Artemisia californica Less. symbol: ARCA11
Leaf: Alternate, simple, persistent but drought deciduous, small, entire or very deeply divided into linear lobes, strongly aromatic, pubescent, early leaves are large, later leaves are smaller and tougher, appearing on stems that grow from the leaf axils, gray-green above and below.
Flower: Very small, yellow-green to pink, flower heads arranged in racemes, appearing in summer to late fall.
Fruit: Small achenes, ripening in December.
Twig: Slender, whispy and covered in pale pubescence, may be grooved.
Bark: Initially gray, becoming gray-brown.
Form: A dense multi-stem shrub to 5 feet.

Additional Range Information: Artemisia californica is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information