prairie wildflower
Silver Wormwood
Artemisia ludoviciana
Also known as Louisiana Artemisia, Louisiana Sage, White Sage, Prairie Sage, Silver Sage, White Sagebrush, Louisiana Wormwood, Louisiana Sagewort, Gray Sagewort, Cudweed Sagewort, Mugwort Wormwood
1 of 2Native to most of the USA and southern Canada
Much of North America, from Canada south to Mexico
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry Moisture preference
- Zones 2–10 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Jul–Nov Flowering time
- Height up to 3 ft to 0.9 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A prairie wildflower for full sun and lean, dry soil. Its yellow flowers peak in August. At up to 3 ft, it suits meadows and sunny borders. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 2–10.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Silver Wormwood's yellow flowers bloom July to November, peaking in August. This late-summer display draws bees.
Silver Wormwood blooms yellowFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Oblong Woolcarder Bee
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Most of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (42): AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WA, WI, WY. Canada (6): AB, BC, MB, NT, ON, SK. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Much of North America, from Canada south to MexicoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 2–10 · Canadian 1–9The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Dry to mesic, rocky, shallow soils, well drained. Sand, loam, clay, caliche, limestone. Very adaptableThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to medium (sandy to loamy)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 6.0–9.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Drought tolerance
- HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
- Salinity tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 3 ft (to 0.9 m)Typical mature height.
- Spread
- ~3 ft (1 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 8+ in (20+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Jul–NovWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- ripens Aug–DecThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Container, cuttings, seed, sprigsHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~4 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- ModerateHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- ModerateWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.