BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Artemisia bigelovii | Bigelow Sagebrush 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Bigelow sagebrush is an extremely drought-resistant, low-growing
subshrub [1,18].  It is woody only at the base and typically reaches 8
to 16 inches (20-40 cm) in height [11,13].  Narrow, cuneate, deciduous
leaves are shed in winter [1].  Bigelow sagebrush is the only species in
the subgenus Tridentatae to have ray flowers in addition to perfect disk
flowers [10].  It closely resembles big sagebrush which has assumed a
low growth form in response to overgrazing or burning, but has more
sharply dentate leves, less woody twigs, and a milder odor [9,22].
Ecotypic variation and hybridization have not been documented for
Bigelow sagebrush.


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Bigelow sagebrush produces seed in abundance.  Cleaned seed averages
2,710,000 per pound (5,975 per gram) [9].  Time of seed-shedding,
germination rate, and dispersal mechanisms are not documented.  Bigelow
sagebrush does not reproduce vegetatively.  Natural spread by seed is
reported to be "very good" [14].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Bigelow sagebrush occurs in canyons, draws, and dry gravel flats from
3,000 to 8,000 feet (900-2,400 m) [6,11].  Growth is best on sandy loam,
clay loam, or loam soils, but it also grows on the shallow, rocky soils
of the southern pinyon-juniper woodlands [3,11].  Bigelow sagebrush grows
particulary well on alkaline soils [14].

Elevational ranges for Colorado and Utah are as follows [3]:

                from 4,300 to 6,000 ft. (1,312-1,830 m) in CO
                     3,200 to 6,700 ft. (976-2,044 m) in UT


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Bigelow sagebrush occurs in a number of climax sagebrush-grassland and
pinyon-juniper communities.  In undisturbed areas it is a dominant
species on all sites where it is present [1].  It also grows in many
early seral communties depending on the type and severity of disturbance
[1].



SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
New growth of Bigelow sagebrush begins in early April [1].  Flowering
dates are listed below [3]:

          State       Beginning of flowering     End of flowering
           CO               June                     September
           UT               August                   September

In the Southwest, flowering occurs from August to October [12,15,20].

The timing of seed-shedding and germination has not been determined.

Related categories for Species: Artemisia bigelovii | Bigelow Sagebrush