Linnaeus named this genus in 1753.  Artemis was Apollo's twin sister and daughter of Zeus and Leto; she was the equivalent of the Greek Diana, goddess of the moon, the woods, and the wild, who, the legend states, derived so much good from plants of this kind that all such plants are named for her. 

    Intermountain Flora presents another etymology: the genus is named for Artemisia, historical Queen of Caria (in present day Turkey) who was a "noted botanist, medical researcher, and scholar".  She was named for the Greek god.  

   See also Artemisia scopulorum, Artemisia franserioides, Artemisia shrubs, and more Artemisia shrubs.

Artemisia frigida (Fringed Sagewort, Fringed Sagebrush, Prairie Sagewort)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, gravels. Summer, fall.
Above and left: Prairie Dog Knoll Trail, Abajo Mountains, Utah, June 25, 2004 and Unnamed Knoll above Robertson Pasture Trail, Abajo Mountains, Utah, August 16, 2011 and August 5, 2021.

Flower stems emerge from a tight tuft of sweetly scented, very conspicuous, handsome, silvery gray-green basal leaves. The tiny stem leaves are in clusters. 

Artemisia frigida is abundant on dry, gravelly hills and is widely distributed throughout the mountain states and east to Wisconsin. Artemisia frigida is, according to Leila Shultz's "Pocket Guide to Sagebrush", "the most widely distributed of all the species of Artemisia. It is found throughout the northern hemisphere from boreal regions near the Arctic Circle to the cool season grasslands of Asia and North America".

The silvery color and sweet sage scent of this plant make it a favorite with many people even before it flowers.

"Frigida" is Latin for "cold"; the species was first collected in Siberia in 1803.

Artemisia frigida (Fringed Sagewort, Fringed Sagebrush, Prairie Sagewort)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, gravels. Summer, fall.
Abajo Mountains, Utah, September 7, 2005, and September 6, 2013.

Each flowering stem has several dozen flowerheads and each head is only a quarter inch in diameter and is made up of numerous tiny disk flowers.

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Artemisia ludoviciana (Silvery Sagewort, Louisiana Wormwood)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert, foothills, montane, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer, fall.
Above and left: Horse Creek, August 24, 2004.

From the lowlands to higher mountains, Sagewort is quite common  --  but frequently unnoticed, even though it is found in all lower 48 states except Florida.  It grows from one to three feet tall, often in masses.  Silvery-sage-green leaves are from one to several inches long, narrow, sometimes entire, sometimes lobed or with a few small toothed notches.  Massed, tiny, downy, silvery-white flower buds are present for many weeks before they open into minute yellow flower heads which in turn give way to brown seeds. (All three can be seen in the picture to the left.) 

Intermountain Flora indicates that this is a "highly complex species" with a number of subspecies. 

The type specimen of this plant was collected by Thomas Nuttall in 1810 or 1811 on the banks of the Mississippi near St. Louis prior to his departing for a collecting trip up the Missouri River with the Astor Company. However, Meriwether Lewis collected this species April 10, 1806 along the Columbia River. Click to read about why Lewis' collection is not considered the type. 

"Ludoviciana" means "from Louisiana", i.e., named for the Louisiana Territory, which encompassed St. Louis and most of Missouri as well as most of the land from the Mississippi west to the Rockies. It is common to have a species named for the place it was collected: "Virginiana", "Canadensis", "Arizonica".  Nuttall published his description of Artemisia ludoviciana in his 1818 two volume work, Genera of North American Plants. (Click the title to read.)

Artemisia ludoviciana (Silvery Sagewort, Louisiana Wormwood)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert, foothills, montane, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer, fall.
Upper Sand Canyon Trail, April 30, 2016.

The silver sage green of Artemisia ludoviciana sets it apart from the green of many other plants.

It is also distinctive in its variety of leaf shapes. Some leaves are lobed only at the tip, some are pinnately divided, and some are entire (just below center of the photograph and see the next photograph below).

The wide lobes of A. ludoviciana's leaves are a very visible characteristic that sets this species apart from the very similar A. carruthii which has leaves divided into very narrow leaflets. 

Artemisia ludoviciana (Silvery Sagewort, Louisiana Wormwood)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert, foothills, montane, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer, fall.
Horse Creek, August 24, 2004.

Artemisia ludoviciana (Silvery Sagewort, Louisiana Wormwood)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert, foothills, montane, alpine. Meadows, woodlands. Summer, fall.
Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area, Utah, April 3, 2006.

In early spring, new green Artemisia ludoviciana growth on the forest floor of Gambel's Oak leaves is topped by a bent, two foot tall, dried Artemisia flower stem.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Artemisia frigida

Range map for Artemisia ludoviciana