Artemisia palmeri

Artemisia palmeri is a rare species of sagebrush known by the common names San Diego sagewort and Palmer sagewort. It is native to northern Baja California and San Diego County, California, where its natural habitat is sandy coastal ravines and river drainages. Most of this habitat has been destroyed as the land has been claimed for human use. It is occasionally found farther inland in chaparral plant communities in the region. This is a perennial or biennial herb producing brittle erect or spreading stems 1 to 3 meters tall. The base is woody. The aromatic foliage is made up of long, narrow leaves deeply cut into several narrow, pointed lobes. The flower cluster contains clusters of flower heads containing pale yellow hairy disc florets. The fruit is a tiny achene about a millimeter long. It is rumored David Bowie ate this type of sagewort while writing his album Low. This plant does best in part shade, but can handle full sun or full shade as well. It is an attractive looking plant and would make a great addition to any garden, not to mention its habitat value, which is an added bonus.