Silver sagebrush
Artemisia cana
Last reviewed: September 2026
Toxicity unknown
Silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
24"–48" H × 24"–48" W
Bloom
Aug, Sep
Native to
AZ, CA, CO, ID and 9 more states
Pollinators
wind pollinated
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 452 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
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A rounded, aromatic shrub with narrow silvery-gray leaves and small inconspicuous yellow flower spikes in late summer. Grows in dense colonies on prairie flats and along drainages in sagebrush steppe.
Wildlife value
Foliage is browsed by mule deer and pronghorn, and the dense structure provides nesting and escape cover for grassland birds.
Common questions
- How much sun does Silver sagebrush need?
- Silver sagebrush grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Silver sagebrush bloom?
- Silver sagebrush blooms in August and September.
- Where is Silver sagebrush native?
- Silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) is native to AZ, CA, CO, ID and 9 more states, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What pollinators does Silver sagebrush attract?
- Silver sagebrush draws wind pollinated.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Silver sagebrush? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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