Sagebrush
Artemisia tridentata
PLANT NAME
Sagebrush
COMMON NAMES
Big Sagebrush, Great Basin Sagebrush, Desert Sage.
BOTANICAL NAME
Artemisia tridentata
IDENTIFICATION
A woody, intensely aromatic shrub with silvery-gray foliage. The small, wedge-shaped leaves typically have three lobes at the tip (tridentata). Produces small, yellowish flowers in late summer.
IDENTIFICATION IMAGE
AI ART TO BE GENERATED
PARTS TRADITIONALLY USED
Leaves and small twigs.
CULINARY USES
Not commonly used as a culinary herb due to its strong, bitter taste and potentially toxic thujone content, though occasionally used as a minor flavoring.
TRADITIONAL USES
A highly sacred plant for many Native American tribes. Used ceremonially as a smudge for purification. Medicinally used as a tea for colds, stomach aches, and headaches, and applied topically as a poultice for wounds and infections.
GROWING / HARVESTING
Dominant in the arid steppes of western North America. Leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season.
SAFETY / CAUTION
Contains thujone and camphor, which can be toxic to the liver and nervous system in large or prolonged doses. Avoid during pregnancy and lactation. Always consult your doctor before using this or any herbal remedy.