Sand sagebrush

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Sand sagebrush leaves

Sand sagebrush leaf

Sand sagebrush flowering heads

Sand sagebrush stems and branches

Sand sagebrush

Sand sagebrush

Sand sagebrush

Sand sagebrush inflorescence

Sand sagebrush in flower

Sand sagebrush

Sand sagebrush

Sand sagebrush leaves

Sand sagebrush bark

Sand sagebrush

Morphology

Stem

Erect or ascending, much branched; covered with short, soft hairs when young; bark with longitudinal lines when mature; twigs erect, slender, flexible, branched, brown to grayish, pubescent to glabrous.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, sessile, often clustered in bunches, 1.2 to 2.5 inches long, thread-like, grayish-green, short-woolly to nearly glabrous; lower leaves deeply 3-lobed; lobes very narrow, thread-like.

Inflorescence

Panicle, leafy, plume-like, 6 to 8 inches long, 1/5 to 4/5 inch wide; heads numerous; bracts leaf-like, often exceeding heads.

Flower

Heads inconspicuous, disk-shaped, pubescent, about 1/12 inch tall; short-stalked; outer ray florets 2-3, pistillate, fertile, whitish; inner disk florets 1-6, funnel-shaped, staminate, sterile; stamens 5

Fruit

Achene, egg-shaped, less than 1/25 inch long, brown, ribbed, 1-seeded.

Ecology

Habitat

Pastures and prairies; open, sandy soil.

Distribution

West 1/2 of Kansas.

Reproduction

By seeds.

Practical Information

Toxicity

Horses that eat large amounts can develop "sage sickness". Symptoms include digestive disturbance, nervousness, and foreleg incoordination.

Forage Value

No forage value for cattle; poor to fair for sheep and horses; fair for deer and antelope. A winter browse for sheep.

Uses

Native Americans used an infusion of the plant to treat boils and indigestion. The liquid was also taken internally and used as a wash to treat snake bites. The soft leaves were used as a toilet paper substitute. Ground-foraging birds eat the seeds. Birds use sand sagebrush for cover and as a nesting site.

Additional Notes