Sagewort, Prairie (Artemisia frigida) packet of 50 seeds, organic

Family:  Aster (Asteraceae)
Hardy to Zones 4 to 8
(Fringed Sage, Sagewort, Prairie Sagebrush, Women’s Sage)  Low-growing woody subshrub with finely divided, silvery foliage, rarely more than 1 foot tall, flowering yellow to 2 feet.  Native to the foothills, mountains and plains of a very wide swath of territory starting in western New Mexico and proceeding north across the great plains into Canada, Alaska and Mongolia.  The herb was widely used by Native Americans as a smudge to disinfect the home, keep away mosquitoes and in general to purify the body and the home environs. Traditional use: the dried leaves and roots of this plant were employed as a chew or as a tea, applied externally to wounds to reduce inflammation and speed healing, also taken internally to treat indigestion and menstrual woes.  The plant also served as a spice and preservative for meat, and I myself have tasted wild pronghorn antelope flesh preserved in this manner, and it was excellent, in a carnivorous kind of way.  Nowadays this plant is highly regarded in landscaping as a good subject for dry borders or as a drought-tolerant containerized plant nestled next to stoop, fencepost or gateway.  Nowadays folks still use this plant for smudging and as an herbal tea, an aromatic bitter.  A little sip of sagewort tea can quickly relax a griping gut, and a sip or two before meals may serve to sharpen the appetite.  Plant prefers full sun and very well-drained soils, does well at altitude and in frigid conditions, and dislikes alkaline soils. In the spring, mix very small seed with a tablespoon or more of sand, then sow this sand/seed mixture by sprinkling on top of sandy soil in pots, flats, or an outdoor seedbed, then firmly tamp the surface and keep evenly moist and in the light until germination, which occurs in 1 to 3 weeks.  Thin or transplant to 1 to 2 feet apart.

50 seeds per packet Certified Organically Grown