Spreading by rhizomes, Prairie Sage can form dense colonies that give a distinctive silver-green accent to large plantings on sunny sites with mesic to dry soil. Its stems and foliage are covered with woolly gray or white hairs and topped by nodding clusters of yellowish disk flowers that bloom through summer. These flowers attract many pollinators. Prairie Sage is also one of the host plants for the American Lady and the Painted Lady. The plants reach heights of 3’ and are easily propagated by rhizome cuttings in spring, tip cuttings in early summer or by division of mature plants. This species is the Sage used in Sage Bundles for smudging and ceremonial purposes for many Native American tribes.

Prairie Sage, also called White Sagebrush, is aggressive and rhizomatous and therefore may not be suitable for small landscape plantings.

Live Plant Shipping Table
	Spring	Fall	Age/Size
Potted 3-Packs	May/June	N/A	2.5" wide x 3.5" deep pots
Potted Trays of 38*	May/June	N/A	2" wide x 5" deep plugs
*This species is a choice in the Mix & Match - Create Your Own Tray!

Map Key

Present in state

Present but introduced in county

Present and native in county; not rare

Not present in state

Present and native in county; rare

Species extirpated (historic)

State or county listed as noxious

Present in state; exotic

This map shows the native and introduced (adventive) range of this species. Given appropriate habitat and climate, native plants can be grown outside their range.

6 Questions asked on Artemisia ludoviciana

Frank June 2

How DEEP will the rhizomes go? Will plastic edging contain their spreading?

Prairie Moon June 3

Hi Frank. I'm thinking of traditional plastic edging that is about 3" deep and, no, Prairie Sage can be quite aggressive and edging won't contain all of it. We have it here in a landscape setting and it jumps into the walkway every year so we contain it with a mower :) If you look at the root photo we have on this page, that is a 1st year plant and you can see the roots are at least 6".

Rita June 8

Is this suitable for smudging? And burning to ward off mosquitos?

Prairie Moon June 10

Hi Rita. Yes, this Sage species was used by some North American Indian tribes for ceremonial incense. Back in the mid-90's we actually used to make our own Sage Bundles for sale in our catalog :) As for warding off mosquitoes, yes, internet references abound; it seems burning Sage is a natural repellent.

patricia August 10

Are the seeds easy to propagate? Can they be sown directly? Can they be down in the fall for zone 5?

Prairie Moon August 11

Hi Patricia, Yes, this species is relatively easy to propagate from seed. It will be easiest if you direct-sow the seed in the fall and allow it to stratify naturally over winter.

Jill September 11

Would this be suitable for a space of 15 cubic feet? Or is that too small given its tendency to spread?

Prairie Moon September 12

Hi Jill. I do think that is too small of an area for Prairie Sage. I've seen many gardens get overwhelmed by this plant in just a few years. Larger spaces and taller, aggressive plants will keep it in check.

Amy July 22

I would like to make smudge sticks from my plants. What stage do I harvest? After it has flowered? Before?

Prairie Moon July 22

Hi Amy, the ideal time is late in the summer or early in the fall. You want to wait for it to flower and then harvest it before it starts to decline. It is also best to do it on a sunny morning when the soil is dry because that is when the oils are the strongest and surfaces are dry. The plant should be old enough to have fully developed oils and resins so it is best to allow the plant to reach maturity before harvesting. It should be at its mature peak and maximum length at the time of harvest.

Wendlyn January 3

I’d like to grow sage but am afraid of its aggressive nature on the property. Could a few of your starts be grown in an enormous pot I have on my patio? Or would they seed themselves into my naturalized yard?

Prairie Moon January 4

Hi Wendlyn. Planting our potted plants in containers will void the warranty and is not recommended. But if you are willing to experiment, make sure the rhizomes do not escape through the drainage hole and out into soil - and prune the plants back after they have flowered to prevent them from self-sowing into your yard.

Seed

Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Before you get started, one of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts, or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before seed will grow.

Each species is different, so be sure to check the GERMINATION CODE listed on the website, in the catalog, or on your seed packet. Then, follow the GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS prior to planting. Some species don't need any pre-treatment to germinate, but some species have dormancy mechanisms that must be broken before the seed will germinate. Some dormancy can be broken in a few minutes, but some species take months or even years.

Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist STRATIFICATION. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.

To learn more, read our BLOG: How to Germinate Native Seeds

Dormant Bare Root Plants

We dig plants when they are dormant from our outdoor beds and ship them April-May and October. Some species go dormant in the summer and we can ship them July/August. We are among the few still employing this production method, which is labor intensive but plant-friendly. They arrive to you dormant, with little to no top-growth (bare-root), packed in peat moss. They should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or anytime the soil is not frozen. A root photo is included with each species to illustrate the optimal depth and orientation. Planting instructions/care are also included with each order.

Download: Installing Your Bare-Root Plants

Potted Plants

3-packs and trays of 32, 38, or 50 plants leave our Midwest greenhouses based on species readiness (being well-rooted for transit) and order date; Spring shipping is typically early May through June, and Fall shipping is mid-August through September. Potted 3-packs and trays of 38 plugs are started from seed in the winter so are typically 3-4 months old when they ship. Trays of 32/50 plugs are usually overwintered so are 1 year old. Plant tray cells are approximately 2” wide x 5” deep in the trays of 38 and 50, and 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep in the 3-packs and trays of 32; ideal for deep-rooted natives. Full-color tags and planting & care instructions are included with each order.

Download: Planting and Care of Potted Plants

*PLEASE NOTE: we are a mail order nursery and have no retail facilities, but you may pick up your order if prior arrangements are made. Pick up orders are subject to **MN Sales Tax.

Shipping & Handling Charges

SEED $100.00 and under: $5.00
Retail SEED orders over $100.00 ship free!

Custom seed mixes or discounted seed sales over $100, add 5% of the total seed cost
(for orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required)

BARE ROOT and POTTED PLANTS $50.00 and under: $9.00
over $50.00: 18% of the total plant cost. (For orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required.)

TOOLS and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the product (within the contiguous US).

**We are required to collect state sales tax in certain states. Your state's eligibility and % will be calculated at checkout. MN State Sales Tax of 7.375% is applied for orders picked up at our MN location. Shipping & handling charges are also subject to the sales tax.

Shipping Season

SEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within 1-3 business days.

BARE ROOT PLANTS are shipped during optimal transplanting time: Spring (April-May) and Fall (Oct). Some ephemeral species are also available for summer shipping. Since our plants are field-grown, Nature sets the schedule each year as to when our season will begin and end. We fill all orders, on a first-come, first-serve basis, to the best of our ability depending on weather conditions beyond our control.

POTTED PLANTS (Trays of 32/38/50 plugs and 3-packs) typically begin shipping early May and go into June; shipping time is heavily dependent on all the species in your order being well-rooted. If winter-spring greenhouse growing conditions are favorable and all species are well-rooted at once, then we ship by order date (first come, first serve). We are a Midwest greenhouse, and due to the challenges of getting all the species in the Mix & Match and Pre-Designed Garden Kits transit-ready at the same time, we typically can't ship before early May. Earlier shipment requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

*We are unable to ship PLANTS (bare root or potted) outside the contiguous US or to CALIFORNIA due to regulations.

Delivery

We ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee. UPS and Spee Dee are often used for expediting plant orders; they will not deliver to Post Office Box numbers, so please also include your street address if ordering plants. We send tracking numbers to your email address so please include it when you order.

FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.

Prairie Sage

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