white sage

(Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana)

Conservation Status
white sage
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

UPL - Obligate upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

White sage is a 1 to 3 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on multiple stems from a slender, horizontal rhizome. It often forms colonies. The leaves and stem are highly fragrant with a sage-like aroma.

The stems are unbranched below the inflorescence. They are covered with white, short, soft, matted, woolly hairs, at least near the top.

The leaves are alternate, gray, inversely lance-shaped with the attachment at the narrow end. They are 1 to 4⅓″ long and up to ½ wide at the base, getting progressively smaller as they ascend the stem. They are untoothed and unlobed or may have a few lobes or large, coarse teeth toward the tips. The margins are flat, not rolled under. The upper and lower surfaces are densely covered with white, short, soft, matted, woolly hairs, the lower surface more so than the upper.

The inflorescence is an erect, dense, 2 to 12 long, spike-like cluster at the top of some of the stems.

The flowers are yellow or yellow-green, small, round, and inconspicuous. They are composed of 6 to 12 very short ray florets and 5 to 12 disk florets. There is no floral scent.

The fruit is a tiny achene.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

1 to 3

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Yellow or yellow-green

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Subspecies ludoviciana is the most widespread, common, and the most varied in appearance. It is the only subspecies that occurs in Minnesota.

The gray color of the stems and leaves and the relatively broad, lance-shaped leaf distinguish this plant from other Artemisia species that occur in the state.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry. Prairies, disturbed sites.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

July to October

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28.

 
  9/4/2020      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Asterales (sunflowers, bellflowers, fanflowers, and allies)  
 

Family

Asteraceae (sunflowers, daisies, asters, and allies)  
  Subfamily Asteroideae  
  Supertribe Asterodae  
  Tribe Anthemideae (chamomiles, yarrows, and allies)  
  Subtribe Artemisiinae  
  Genus Artemisia (wormwoods and sagebrushes)  
  Species Artemisia ludoviciana (silver wormwood)  
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Artemisia brittonii

Artemisia cuneata

Artemisia diversifolia

Artemisia falcata

Artemisia gnaphalodes

Artemisia herriotii

Artemisia lindheimeriana

Artemisia ludoviciana var. americana

Artemisia ludoviciana var. brittonii

Artemisia ludoviciana var. gnaphalodes

Artemisia ludoviciana var. latifolia

Artemisia ludoviciana var. pabularis

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. typica

Artemisia pabularis

Artemisia paucicephala

Artemisia pudica

Artemisia purshiana

Artemisia rhizomata

Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana

Artemisia vulgaris ssp. ludoviciana

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

cudweed

cudweed sagewort

gray sagewort

Louisiana sage

Louisiana sagebrush

Louisiana sage-wort

Louisiana wormwood

mugwort wormwood

pasture sage

prairie sage

silver wormwood

western mugwort

western sage

white sage

white sagebrush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Achene

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded fruit, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed entirely from the wall of the superior ovary, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Nancy Falkum

 
 

Artemisia

 
    white sage      
 

Tom T.

 
 

White Sage & Smooth Sumac

 
    white sage      
 

Charity Saxum

 
    white sage   white sage  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Habitat

 
    white sage   white sage  
           
 

Plant

 
    white sage   white sage  
           
    white sage      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Artemisia ludoviciana
Matt Lavin
  Artemisia ludoviciana  
 
About

Native rhizomatous herb to 90 cm tall, often in disturbed settings including overgrazed rangeland and roadsides. The stems leaves are often very variable in width, length, and degree of lobing and dentition (from entire leaves to dentate at the tip or lobed along the margins).

 

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
     
     
     

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 
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  Nancy Falkum
9/18/2021

Location: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit

Artemisia

white sage  
  Tom T.
9/7/2020

Location: Seven Sisters Prairie

White Sage & Smooth Sumac

white sage  
  Charity Saxum
8/6/2018

Location: rural Parkers Prairie, MN

white sage  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

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