Silver sagebrush
Artemisia cana
Last reviewed: August 2026

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 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaA 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.
Ready to grow Silver sagebrush? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute yard quiz