SafePlants

Prairie Sagewort (Artemisia frigida)

Considerations for Pets

• The plant is described as a spreading shrublet arising from a tough, woody crown.
• It features feathery silver-white foliage.

Considerations for Children

• The plant is described as a spreading shrublet arising from a tough, woody crown.
• It features feathery silver-white foliage.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Artemisia frigida Willd.
• Common Names: Prairie sagewort, fringed sagebrush, arctic sage, pasture sage, fringed sage, fringed wormwood, prairie sagebrush, white prairie sage, white sage.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Family: Asteraceae (Aster family) or Compositae
• Synonyms: The text mentions that "prairie sagewort (FNA Ed. Comm., 2006a)" is a synonym in English vernacular for *Artemisia frigida* Willdenow.

Distribution and Habitat

• The text mentions the plant's presence in "dry northerly parts" and that it is a "wide ranging native Artemisia."
• It is also mentioned in the context of Minnesota flora and the Table Mountain Project in Colorado.
• Specific mentions of distribution include Peace River, BC, and areas "high above Kalamalka lake."

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Prairie sagewort is described as a spreading shrublet that grows to be 1-4 dm (3.9-15.7 inches) tall, or alternatively 4 to 24 inches.
• It is pleasantly fragrant, whitish or grayish tomentose (covered in dense, matted, woolly hairs), and arises from a tough, woody crown.
• It has feathery silver-white foliage.
• It features dozens of 1/8-inch semi-spherical, petal-less flower heads hanging down in mostly erect manner.

Ethnobotanical Information

• The Cheyenne used prairie sagewort ceremonially.
• The Blackfeet chewed the leaves for heartburn.