Plant Database
California Sagebrush
Artemisia californica
Artemisia californica, commonly known as California Sagebrush, is a quintessential, evergreen shrub of the coastal sage scrub community, prized for its intensely fragrant, finely textured, silvery-gray foliage and its exceptional drought tolerance. This adaptable, woody perennial forms a dense, rounded mound of fine, feathery leaves that release a strong, clean, sage-like aroma when brushed, especially after rain. Its small, inconspicuous yellow-green flowers are not showy but are highly attractive to a wide range of native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, and its dense branches provide excellent cover and nesting sites for birds . A cornerstone of California's native landscape, it is extremely tough, low-maintenance, and an outstanding choice for habitat gardens, dry slopes, restoration projects, and water-wise landscapes.