# coastal sagewort

*Artemisia pycnocephala*

The dense, white, felt-like hairs covering its leaves act as natural sunscreen, reflecting harsh UV rays and trapping moisture against salty ocean winds.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Artemisia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Coastal sand dunes, beaches, and coastal strand communities.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide).
- **Range:** California coast, Oregon coast
- **Size:** 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 inches) tall and wide
- **Lifespan:** 2-5 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Invasive plant species (such as iceplant), coastal development, and off-road vehicle or pedestrian traffic destroying dune habitats.
- **Safe to approach?:** This plant is entirely harmless and safe to touch, releasing a pleasant, clean sage aroma. When observing, keep a safe distance from the surrounding sand dunes to avoid trampling fragile dune ecosystems and causing erosion.

## About

Artemisia pycnocephala is a North American species of sagebrush in the sunflower family, known by the common names beach wormwood , sandhill sage , and coastal sagewort .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/0be37e51-030c-4dc8-8af1-bf84d4b0e849
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/60952
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia pycnocephala
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/15182/medium.jpg (Ken-ichi Ueda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.