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Mugwort
Artemisia douglasiana
  
68 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) 68 Nurseries Carry This Plant Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) is an aromatic shrub in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family, although plants in this genus don't look like that would be the case. Found in virtually every county of California, this plant has been used as a ceremonial plant in many Native American cultures, for use in treating a minor injury, or as a dream potentiator.

The plant is native to the western United States and into Baja California, where it is often found in moist areas such as drainages. It's often riparian in the drier parts of its range. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, often not producing viable seed. It spreads by rhizomes, especially in damp areas.

This plant is not often seen in residential gardens but is sometimes grown for medicinal purposes. It is also useful in restoration projects and for erosion control.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
8 ft tall
4 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, White, Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported
 
Various insects are attracted to the flowers

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 confirmed , 28 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Vanessa virginiensis Image
American Lady Vanessa virginiensisVanessa virginiensis
Cosmopterix opulenta Image
Cosmopterix opulentaCosmopterix opulenta
Platyptilia williamsii Image
Platyptilia williamsiiPlatyptilia williamsii
*
Vanessa cardui Image
Painted Lady Vanessa carduiVanessa cardui
*
Papilio machaon Image
Old World Swallowtail Papilio machaonPapilio machaon
*
Lycaena rubidus Image
Ruddy Copper Lycaena rubidusLycaena rubidus
*
Arachnis picta Image
Painted Tiger Moth Arachnis pictaArachnis picta

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 68

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerant of a variety of soils as long as adequate moisture is available. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Butterfly Gardens, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use with other plants of moist areas, such as Indigo Bush (Amorpha fruticosa), Mule Fat (Baccharis salicifolia), dogwood (Cornus spp.), rush (Juncus spp.), Sedge (Carex spp.), currant/Gooseberry (Ribes spp.), wild Rose (Rosa spp.), willow (Salix spp.), and wild grape (Vitis spp.).

Maintenance
Maintenance
May be cut back to ground during dormancy

Propagation
Propagation?
Usually from rhizome cuttings

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Open, often in drainages and other wet areas, but also in woodlands, grassland and chaparral

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.0" - 119.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.13" - 4.10", Coldest Month: 23.0" - 56.4", Hottest Month: 45.7" - 81.7", Humidity: 0.09" - 33.10", Elevation: -253" - 11501"

Alternative Names
Common Names: California Mugwort, Douglas' Sagewort


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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