SafePlants

Artemisia ludoviciana

Artemisia ludoviciana, belonging to the Asteraceae family, is known by a variety of common names, including silver wormwood, western mugwort, Louisiana wormwood, white sagebrush, gray sagewort, Louisiana artemisia, Louisiana sage, White sage, Prairie sage, Silver sage, Silver King, Cudweed, Mexican sagewort, wild sage, prairie sage, wormwood, white mugwort, and darkleaf mugwort.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt.
• Family: Asteraceae
• Synonyms: A. palmeri, A. purshiana
• Subspecies: Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. candicans and Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana and Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. incompta

Distribution and Habitat

• Artemisia ludoviciana is a rhizomatous perennial native from Baja California to Ontario, Canada, and down to Arkansas.

Ecological Role

• Prairie Sage, also called White Sagebrush, is described as aggressive and rhizomatous.
• The plant has repellent properties against rice weevil and lesser grain borer.

Morphological Characteristics

• It is an aromatic, rhizomatous perennial that grows 3-19 dm tall.
• The plant is simple up to the inflorescence and is white-woolly, at least above.
• Leaves are lance-shaped (up to 4 inches long), silver-white, pubescent, and somewhat sage-like in appearance.
• Its stems and foliage are covered with woolly gray or white hairs.

Traditional and Modern Uses

• Historically, Native Americans may have used Sagebrush as a substitute where White Sage (Salvia) was unavailable.
• The plant has been used for disinfecting against gastro-intestinal complaints and kidney- and bladder problems and is considered tonicizing and disinfecting.
• The essential oil displays a fresh, herbaceous-fruity bouquet.
• Artemisia mexicana is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind.