Montane. Rocks, woodland openings. Summer, fall.
East Fork of the Dolores River Trail, August 25, 2005.

Artemisia franserioides grows to an arching two feet with an abundance of tiny orbs of white/green flowers.  Although the plant is very slender and easily lost in a forest green floor, its large, gently and deeply lobed leaves are very easy to spot and, in fact, are exactly what Betty and I noticed when we first became aware of this plant.  Touch the leaves and you will always remember this plant for its lovely, sweet fragrance.

See the Artemisia page for the derivation of the genus name.

Montane. Rocks, woodland openings. Summer, fall.
Roaring Fork Road, August 16, 2007.

Six-to-ten inch flower heads often gently arch.  Flowers are packed tightly into minute heads.

Montane. Rocks, woodland openings. Summer, fall.
East Fork of the Dolores River Trail, August 25, 2005.

Beds of numerous basal leaves are common.  In this picture only the two plants at the bottom center have sent up flower stalks (fine vertical lines in the very center of the photograph). 

Montane. Rocks, woodland openings. Summer, fall.
Roaring Fork Road, August 16, 2007.