Artemisia can be used as an attractive border, or mowed as a groundcover.

Here is a groundcover or small shrub that nearly anyone can use in a dry landscape. Yet Artemisia ludoviciana, sometimes called western mugwort or prairie sagebrush, has not been fully discovered by the landscape industry.

Perhaps that is because it's almost too common -- along the roadsides, that is. Artemisia grows throughout the midwestern United States, and from Canada deep into Mexico. When you see it, you may consider it just another gray shrub, yet in a landscape it can provide an accent, thrive as a mowed groundcover or be useful as a small hedge or border.

Artemisia is evergreen when mowed, and grows to 1-3 feet tall. It colonizes from creeping rootstalks and must be contained in a landscape, else it will spread in unwanted directions. It survives quite well in well-drained sand, loam, clay, caliche and limestone soils.

Aromatic, but maybe allergenic

Distinctly aromatic, it is agreeable to many people but may offend others; its main criticism is its wind-pollinating habit, which may trigger allergies.

As a singular plant, artemisia may appear lanky, yet when grouped provides a gray color that brings out yellows, reds and blues when paired with annuals or colorful perennials such as salvias. It is also useful for year-round color on its own when planted on a sunny slope with rock. It may be the perfect groundcover for sunny parking medians, street islands, sides of highways and other tough contained spots. When mowed, it will bear moderate amounts of foot traffic.

Mountain States Wholesale Nursery in Litchfield Park, Ariz., advises that it be considered for high- and middle-desert locations, at 0F to 10F, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources lists artemisia on its Low Water Using Plant List. Native Americans called it "man sage" and used it for ceremonial and purification purposes: deodorize feet; cure headaches; and treat coughs, stomach troubles; and wounds on horses. They also made it into pillows and saddle pads and burned it to drive away mosquitoes.

The entire plant is aromatic, and is silver-colored to gray. Its leaves are fuzzy with small hairs. Flowers are inconspicuous.

It is propagated from root cuttings or stems.

-- David Morgan

SPECIFICS:
Name: Artemisia ludoviciana
Common name: Western mugwort, prairie sagebrush, artemisia.
Family: Compositae.
Description: Gray, sagelike plant 1-2 feet tall, somewhat formless or lanky in nature; very aromatic. Found in dry, rocky locations in nature.
Uses: Can be mowed as a groundcover or used as a hedge or border; gray color is useful when planted among flowering annuals or perennials.
Cold hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 3.
For more: Arizona Department of Water Resources, 500 N. Third St., Phoenix, AZ 85004; (602) 417-2465; fax (602) 417-2422. Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, P.O. Box 2500, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340; (602) 247-8509; fax (602) 247-6354.

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© 2001 Branch-Smith Publishing