Plant Highlights

Artemisia palmeri is a rare species of sagebrush known by the common names San Diego sagewort and Palmer sagewort. It is native to northern Baja California and San Diego County, California, where its natural habitat is sandy coastal ravines and river drainages. It is occasionally found farther inland in chaparral plant communities in the region. This is a perennial or biennial herb producing brittle erect or spreading stems. The base is woody. The aromatic foliage is made up of long, narrow leaves deeply cut into several narrow, pointed lobes. The inflorescence contains clusters of flower heads containing pale yellow glandular disc florets. The fruit is a tiny achene about a millimeter long. It is mostly used in revegetation projects. It is rumored David Bowie ate this type of sagewort while writing his album Low.