Artemisia tridentata, commonly known as big sagebrush or mountain sagebrush, is a silvery shrub with fragrant foliage native to the western United States. It grows in arid and semi-arid conditions, throughout a range of cold desert, steppe, and mountain habitats. Big sagebrush and other Artemisia species are dominant plants across large portions of the Great Basin, covering some 422,000 square miles in 11 western US states and Canadian provinces. Sagebrush is also the state flower of Nevada. Sagebrush provides food and habitat for various animal species, such as sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, grey vireo, pygmy rabbit, and mule deer. Not only is it used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans, but the plant is also found in various everyday items such as hair rinses, disinfectants, and dyes. The plant is very aromatic, and its seeds are often used during celebrations because they explode like crackers when thrown into a fire. However, sagebrush ecosystems are threatened, including by human settlements, conversion to agricultural land, livestock grazing, invasive plant species, wildfires, and climate change. Despite these threats, the magnificent big sagebrush continues to thrive and provide valuable services to various species in its ecosystem.
