ARTEMISIA. Wormwood, sagebrush. Widespread in Europe, Asia, N. America. Grey leaved, often aromatic perennials and shrubs for banks and borders. Sun, well drained soil, little supplemental watering, except as noted. Hardiness varies.
arbuscula. A beautiful mountain native, hugging the ground with short, woody trunks. It is usually 6-18” high, spreading to form a low mound. The stems are thickly set with small wedge-shaped leaves, each toothed at the tip in the manner of the common sagebrush, A. tridentata. Dense, narrow flower spikes are held erect and age an attractive, rusty brown. A perfect plant for exposed banks, thriving in full sun, with well drained soil and only occasional watering when established. Hardy to below 0oF.
californica ‘Canyon Gray’. Unusual prostrate form of a coastal native, selected and introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. It forms a loose mat at least 4' broad of finely cut, silvery leaves. Useful as a ground and bank cover. It should be cut back hard from time to time to keep it looking fresh and reasonably dense. Hardy to 15oF or less.
ludoviciana var. albula. White sage. A western native forming broad, dense mats with narrowly oval, grey green leaves. From these attractive, leafy blooming stems rise 2’ or more in summer. ‘Valerie Finnis’ is a recent arrival, with nearly white leaves and stems. The individual flower heads, as in other artemisias, are tiny and inconspicuous. It dies nearly to the ground in winter. Hardy to 0oF. or less.
pycnocephala. Sandhill sage. Another coastal native, this is usually a 1-2' shrub with soft white wool covering both the stems and the floppy divided leaves. ‘David's Choice’ is a selected form, distinguished by low, dense growth.
tridentata var. vaseyana. After admiring this plant for several years in the wild, I resolved to try it. It has now weathered the wettest winters California is likely to offer, in my garden, without complaint and seems safe to certify (with certain cautions) as gardenworthy. This is basically a smaller, montane version of the sagebrush which lines much of the basin and range country as far as one can see. This particular form was under 3' high in the wild, 4' thus far in cultivation. It has sturdy, closely branched trunks and silvery stems, with clustered silvery leaves, three-lobed at the ends. The flowering shoots are a foot or more long, also silvery and attractive until long after the flowers have withered, unlike many artemisias. This is a fine shrub for banks and mixed plantings. Below 0oF.