Artemisia bigelovii is a North American species of sagebrush known by the common name Bigelow sagebrush or flat sagebrush.[3] It grows in the deserts of the southwestern United States.[4]


It is native to California (Inyo + San Bernardino Counties),[3] Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.[5] It grows in desert, basin, grassland, and juniper woodland habitats. It is very drought-tolerant and lives in arid regions on sandy and limestone-rich soils.[6]


Artemisia bigelovii is a shrub growing from a woody base and reaching a maximum height around 50 cm (20 inches). It has many slender, curving branches with shredding bark and is generally in overall habit.[4]

The stem branches and leaves are coated in silvery hairs, giving the plant a gray color. The leaves are less than 3 centimeters long and may end in a point or in three distinct teeth.[4]

The inflorescence is a panicle of flower heads containing yellowish disc florets and occasionally a small ray floret. The fruit is a tiny achene about a millimeter long.[4]


This species of sagebrush is good winter fodder for grazing animals and it is cultivated as plant cover on recovering rangeland and for erosion control.[6]


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