BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Budsage is a moderately long-lived, deciduous, low-growing,
spiny-twigged shrub 0.5 to 1.5 feet (0.15-0.47 m) tall.  It has an
extensive, relatively shallow root system that generally grows in the
top 6 to 22 inches (15-55 cm) of soil.  The vertical taproot is short
and thick, and up to 6 inches (15 cm) long with numerous small
horizontal branches.  Shrubs occurring in bottomlands occasionally
produce adventitious roots.  Root penetration and distribution have been
noted to vary with soils [20].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Chamaephyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Budsage regenerates by seed. However, good seed production is infrequent
because the flowers bloom quite early and are often damaged by frost [14].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Budsage occurs on dry saline plains and hills.  The soils have less
gravel (between 20 and 30 inches [50 and 75 cm] deep) than soils
supporting other vegetation.  There is an accumulation of lime in this
gravel zone [20].

Elevational ranges of budsage are as follows [6]:

                 UT    4400-5600 ft  (1340-1710 m)
                 CO    4500-8000 ft  (1370-2440 m)
                 WY    4000-7000 ft  (1220-2130 m)
      


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Budsage is a dominant in climax vegetation in Montana, California, and
Nevada [16].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Budsage usually blooms from the last week in April to the last week in
May, but blooming may vary as follows:

                             Flowering         
 State          earliest       most frequent      latest 
                 month            month           month
--------------------------------------------------------
  UT              Apr              ---             May
  CO              Apr              May             Jul
  WY              Apr              May             Jul

The shrub normally becomes dormant by early or midsummer but may break
dormancy in response to summer rains.  When dormancy is broken in early
spring and before the the buds elongate, the bark can be easily pulled
from the previous season's growth.  This is known as "slipping" and is
the time when budsage is most palatable to sheep [20].

Related categories for Species: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage