[Mugworts, Sageworts and Wormwoods: The Genus Artemisia East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Louisiana Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Silver Wormwood, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana

Synonyms: Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana

Western wormwood (ssp. ludoviciana) growing along the Deschutes River in north central Oregon...........2006

Characteristics:

Upright, aromatic herbaceous plant with numerous flower heads clustered close to the upper part of the main stem. The flower heads are discoid, with 6-45 yellowish disk flowers, depending on the variety. Leaves are entire to deeply parted or divided. Plants are somewhat silvery haired. Flowers from July into October.

Habitat:

Western wormwood is a wildflower that may be found in dry open places.

Range:

Western wormwood is found mostly east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, but is otherwise common in the western United States.

Subspecies of Western Wormwood:

Gray Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Western Mugwort: Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. candicans (Synonym: Artemisia ludoviciana var. latifloba) -

Estes's Artemisia: Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. estesii -

Intermediate Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Western Mugwort: Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. incompta (Synonym: Artemisia ludoviciana var. incompta) -

Columbia River Sagewort, Columbia River Wormwood, Riverbank Wormwood: Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. lindleyana (Synonyms: Artemisia lindleyana, Artemisia prescottiana)

Louisiana Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Silver Wormwood, Western Mugwort: Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (Synonyms: Artemisia diversifolia, Artemisia gnaphaloides, Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana) -

Western mugwort observed along the Fishtrap-Sprague Highway near the junction with Miller Ranch Road East......June 28, 2020.

western wormwood (ssp. ludoviciana) as seen growing in the middle of Little Bowman Creek, trailhead for Canyon Creek, Klickitat Wildlife Area..........May 22, 2015. Note the entire leaf to somewhat lobed margins for this subspecies as well as the dense covering of white, appressed hairs on both surfaces of the leaves.

Paul Slichter