Artemisia (frigida)

Tara Luna USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 (406) 888-7835 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Asteraceae
Family Common Name:	Sunflower family
Scientific Name:	Artemisia frigida Willd.
Common Name:	Fringed sagewort
Species Code:	ARTFRI
Ecotype:	East Glacier, Montana
General Distribution:	Fringed sagewort is a perennial species that is native throughout western North America and central Asia. It is found from Alaska south through the central and western Canadian provinces through the western and Great Plains states. Further east, it is found in the upper Midwest and is considered introduced in the New England states. It is most common in open dry high plains, prairies and steppe grasslands.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	172 ml (10 .0 cu in)
Time To Grow:	6 Months
Target Specifications:	Root tight plug with a rossette of multiple leaves.
Propagule Collection:	Fringed sagewort flowers during July and August. The numerous, inconspicuous flowers are borne on an upright raceme and are yellowish during flowering. Flowers are wind pollinated. Seeds mature during the fall months and are grey to brown at maturity. Good seed crops usually occur every year.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds can be collected by hand-stripping or hand beating the dried stalks into bags. Seeds should be collected when seeds turn brown and are easily pulled from the receptacles. Seeds should be collected as soon as the seeds ripen fully; too early or too late collection often results in the collection of non-viable or aborted seeds. Collections should be spread evenly over a tarp to dry for 3 to 5 days. Large collections can be cleaned by using a barley de-bearder to which breaks up the seed stalks to release the seeds (Meyer 2004). Hammermills can damage sage seeds. Small collections can be rubbed over a screen. There are approximately 10,000,000 seeds per kilogram (4,550,000 seeds per pound) (Meyer 20004). Sage seeds are not long lived under warehouse storage conditions.High quality seeds can retain viability for 2 to 3 years. Longer storage life may be obtained by drying seeds to 6 to 8% moisture content under low temperatures (Meyer 2004).
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Seeds exhibit physiological dormancy. Fresh seeds should be stratified for at least 30 to 60 days. Dry stored seeds can be sown without treatment. Sowing Methods: Direct Seeding Surface sow seeds for light requirement.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Seedlings are grown in a fully automated greenhouse at temperatures of 24ø C day / 15ø C night (75ø F day/ 59ø F night). Growing medium used is milled sphagnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 1 gram of Osmocote and 0.20 gram of Micromax per 172 ml conetainer.
Establishment Phase:	Seedlings are well estblished at 4 weeks. Seeds and seedlings need to be kept evenly moist during germination and establishment. Once established, seedlings must dry down between irrigations.
Length of Establishment Phase:	1 month
Active Growth Phase:	Seedlings need to dry down between irrigations during active growth. No additonial fertlizer is requird for growth.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	2 months
Hardening Phase:	Seedlings need to be moved to the outdoor nursery in early summer where they undergo hardening during late summer and fall months.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2 months
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Seedlings can be outplanted in fall or overwintered in the nursery under Microfoam sheets and planted the following spring.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	Crown divisions are used for species which produce multiple offshoots from the crown. Crown divisions are usually done in early spring just before growth begins. Mature nursery plants plants can be dug up and cut into sections with a sharp knife, each with a substantial portion of the root system and planted individually.
References:	McGregor RL. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. Great Plains Flora Association. University of Kansas Press. Lawrence (KS) 1402p. ISBN 0-7006-0295-X Meyer SE. 2004. The genus Artemisia. In: Woody Plant Seed Manual (on-line version) URL: http://wpsm.net/Artemisia.pdf (accessed 22 May 2004).

Citation:

Luna, Tara. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Artemisia frigida Willd. plants 172 ml (10 .0 cu in); USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/03). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.