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{{redirect|Sagebrush|other uses of the word|Sagebrush (disambiguation)}}

{{redirect|Sagebrush|other uses of the word|Sagebrush (disambiguation)}}

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'''''Artemisia tridentata''''' ('''Sagebrush''', '''Big Sagebrush''', '''Common Sagebrush''', '''Blue Sagebrush''', or '''Black Sagebrush''') is a [[shrub]] or small [[tree]] from the family [[Asteraceae]]. Some botanists treat it in the [[segregate (taxonomy)|segregate]] genus ''Seriphidium'', as ''S. tridentatum'' (Nutt.) W. A. Weber, but this is not widely followed. The name "sagebrush" is also used for several related members of the genus ''[[Artemisia (plant)|Artemisia]]'', such as [[Artemisia californica|California Sagebrush]] (''Artemisia californica'').  

'''''Artemisia tridentata''''' ('''Sagebrush''', '''Big Sagebrush''', '''Common Sagebrush''', '''Blue Sagebrush''', or '''Black Sagebrush''') is a [[shrub]] or small [[tree]] from the family [[Asteraceae]]. Some botanists treat it in the [[segregate (taxonomy)|segregate]] genus ''Seriphidium'', as ''S. tridentatum'' (Nutt.) W. A. Weber, but this is not widely followed. The name "sagebrush" is also used for several related members of the genus ''[[Artemisia (plant)|Artemisia]]'', such as [[Artemisia californica|California Sagebrush]] (''Artemisia californica'').  

It is a coarse, hardy silvery-grey bush with yellow [[flower]]s and grows in arid sections of the [[American West|western]] [[United States]]. It is the primary vegetation across vast areas of the [[Great Basin]] desert. Along rivers or in other relatively wet areas, sagebrush can grow as tall as 3 m (10 feet), but is more typically 1-2 m tall.  

It is a coarse, hardy silvery-grey bush with yellow [[flower]]s and grows in arid sections of the [[American West|western]] [[United States]]. It is the primary vegetation across vast areas of the [[Great Basin]] desert. Along rivers or in other relatively wet areas, sagebrush can grow as tall as 3 m (10 feet), but is more typically 1-2 m tall.  

[[Image:Young sagebrush.JPG|thumb|A young sagebrush grown as [[bonsai]], showing the typical leaf configuration]]

[[Image:Young sagebrush.JPG|thumb|A young sagebrush grown as [[bonsai]], showing the typical leaf configuration]]

Sagebrush leaves compare favorably to [[alfalfa]] for [[livestock]] [[nutrition]] value.  However, they also contain oils that are toxic to the [[Symbiosis|symbiotic]] [[bacterium|bacteria]] in the [[rumen]] of most [[ruminant]]s. These oils have the greatest effect on [[cattle]]. Cattle that resort to sagebrush due to the lack of other [[fodder]] in the winter often freeze to death before starving, as they rely in large part on the heat of their [[digestion|digestive]] action for warmth. Ranchers call this condition "hollow belly".  [[Sheep]] can tolerate moderate consumption of sagebrush leaves, especially the fresh spring buds. [[Pronghorn]] are the only large [[herbivore]] to browse sagebrush extensively. As pronghorn are the only remaining large herbivore that [[Evolution|evolved]] along with sagebrush ([[deer]] are a more recent arrival from [[Asia]]), this is not surprising. There is speculation that some of the herbivores that went extinct in [[North America]] at the end of the [[Pleistocene]] such as the [[Ground Sloth]] or the American [[Camel]] were also capable of browsing sagebrush.

Sagebrush leaves compare favorably to [[alfalfa]] for [[livestock]] [[nutrition]] value.  However, they also contain oils that are toxic to the [[Symbiosis|symbiotic]] [[bacterium|bacteria]] in the [[rumen]] of most [[ruminant]]s. These oils have the greatest effect on [[cattle]]. Cattle that resort to sagebrush due to the lack of other [[fodder]] in the winter often freeze to death before starving, as they rely in large part on the heat of their [[digestion|digestive]] action for warmth. Ranchers call this condition "hollow belly".  [[Sheep]] can tolerate moderate consumption of sagebrush leaves, especially the fresh spring buds. [[Pronghorn]] are the only large [[herbivore]] to browse sagebrush extensively. As pronghorn are the only remaining large herbivore that [[Evolution|evolved]] along with sagebrush ([[deer]] are a more recent arrival from [[Asia]]), this is not surprising. There is speculation that some of the herbivores that went extinct in [[North America]] at the end of the [[Pleistocene]] such as the [[Ground Sloth]] or the American [[Camel]] were also capable of browsing sagebrush.

Sagebrush is not fire-tolerant and relies on wind-blown seeds from outside the burned area for re-establishment. This is in contrast to many of the other plants which share its habitat, such as [[Rabbitbrush]], [[Ephedra (genus)|Ephedra]] and bunchgrasses, which can root-sprout after a fire. [[Downy brome|Cheatgrass]] has invaded much of the sagebrush habitat, and if left unchecked could possibly create a fire cycle that is too frequent to allow sagebrush to re-establish itself.

Sagebrush is not fire-tolerant and relies on wind-blown seeds from outside the burned area for re-establishment. This is in contrast to many of the other plants which share its habitat, such as [[Rabbitbrush]], [[Ephedra (genus)|Ephedra]] and bunchgrasses, which can root-sprout after a fire. [[Downy brome|Cheatgrass]] has invaded much of the sagebrush habitat, and if left unchecked could possibly create a fire cycle that is too frequent to allow sagebrush to re-establish itself.