Plant in full sun along the coast to part day sun in inland valley in a sandy to clay soil so long as it has decent drainage. Little or no irrigation is required once established and is best to avoid irrigating in summer months. It is cold hardy to about 20-25° F. Works well as a fine textured small shrub on dry slopes and for color and texture variation with other native plants and the foliage is pleasantly aromatic when crushed. It is a great habitat plant for birds such as quail and the endangered California Gnatcatcher.

Artemisia californica is native to much of central and southern California where it typically grows on west and north facing slopes as a component of the coastal sage scrub and chaparral plant communities. The name for the genus likely honors Artemisia II of Caria, a botanist and medical researcher who died in 350 BC but whose name came from the Greek goddess Artemis, whom the Romans called Diana. The specific epithet is in reference to the plant being native to California. It is also called Coastal Sagebrush, California Sagewort and California Mugwort. We grew this plant until 2014 but continue to grow the selected low growing form Artemisia californica 'Canyon Gray' that was introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. 

The information about Artemisia californica displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.