CALIFORNIA SAGEBRUSH   Artemisia californica ASTERACEAE (sunflower family)		In it's natural setting sage is drought deciduous spending the late summer and fall without foliage.  In a garden setting with deep waterings once per month or so it will remain evergreen gray, however it's lifespan will be shortened to several years.  Frequent dry season waterings will likely kill the sagebrush in one or two years.  The sagebrush will grow rapidly to about 4' and can become lanky though occasional shearing can keep the plant full and compact.  With it's spreading root system, sagebrush makes an excellent plant for erosion control on steep banks.
HABITAT: coastal sage scrub/ coastal bluff scrub DISTRIBUTION: native to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and southern California coast. GROWTH HABIT: drought deciduous shrub SIZE: 4'x4' grows quickly EXPOSURE: Full sun. Little to no water.     California Sagebrush is a small to medium size shrub with finely divided silvery foliage that has a pleasantly aromatic "sage like" scent.  It is one of the foundation plants of coastal sage scrub habitat whose structure is sought after by the threatened California Gnatcatcher for it's nest sites.