Artemisia tripartita
Arid-adapted shrub native to western North America with silvery-green, three-cleft leaves and elongated panicles of creamy-white flowers that bloom July–September and form seed heads in late summer, thriving in dry sagebrush steppe with 6–35 inches of mean annual precipitation
Common Names
Threetip Sagebrush, Wyoming Threetip Sagebrush, Threetip Sage Brush, Three-Tipped Sagebrush, Three-Tip Sagebrush, Cutleaf Sagebrush
Summary
Threetip sagebrush is a western North American shrub native to dry sagebrush steppe and grasslands, typically forming a multi-stem plant up to about 3–6 ft tall with silvery-gray, aromatic foliage. Leaves are gray-green and deeply three-cleft with linear lobes, giving a distinctive three-tipped appearance; the plant is root-sprouting and often bushy. Two subspecies occur: ssp. tripartita, the taller form, and ssp. rupicola, the Wyoming dwarf form.
Cultivation favors sunny, well-drained loamy soils with a pH of about 6–8.5 and tolerance of poor soils and drought; it resprouts after disturbance or fire. Propagation is by seed or vegetative methods (bare root, container, cuttings) and it establishes readily by seeding or transplanting, making it suitable for habitat restoration and native plantings. Not a major forage for cattle, but sheep may browse; pygmy rabbits use the plant and sage-grouse show high palatability, supporting wildlife-friendly landscaping and restoration in dryland habitats.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3 ft - 6 ft 7 in
Spread
12-20 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 6-7
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Well-drained loamy to sandy-loam soils
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
6.0-8.5
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Summer to Fall
Foliage Color
Gray-green to silvery green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color change
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division, Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Rydb.
- Publication
- Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 432. 1900
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Subfamily
- Asteroideae
- Tribe
- Anthemideae
- Genus
- Artemisia
Inferior Taxa
Artemisia tripartita subsp. rupicola Artemisia tripartita subsp. tripartita
Synonyms
Artemisia trifida var. trifida Artemisia tripartita var. tripartita