Sagebrush Sea Reptiles & Amphibians

Sagebrush Sea Mammals

Sagebrush Sea Fishes

Sagebrush Sea Birds

  

Historically, the Sagebrush Sea covered approximately 150 acres in western North America, and was perhaps as large as 243 million acres, spanning parts of 16 states and three Canadian provinces. However, the sagebrush steppe has been reduced in area by as much as 50 percent since European settlement and exotic grasses and weeds now dominate native vegetation across much of the landscape.

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) are among the most widely distributed native plants in the western United States. Aproximately 21 varieties of sagebrush grow from sea level to nearly 12,000 feet and in areas that receive as little as eight inches of precipitation annually. Many varieties of sagebrush are endemic to western North America, including all big sagebrush taxa. Big sagebrush can live to 100 years.
Big sagebrush - Scott Smith

Mountain, tall or big sagebrush grows at 4,500 - 10,000 ft., from CA to the Rocky Mountains, as far east as NE and from Canada to Mexico. Its crushed leaves have a minty, camphor-like odor.

Wyoming big sagebrush grows at 5,000 - 7,000 ft., in WY, MT, ID, CO and SD. A favorite of loggerhead shrikes and other birds for nesting.

Basin big sagebrush grows at 1,500 - 10,600 ft., from MT south to NM and throughout all the Western states into ND. The crushed leaf of this species has a pungent sharp odor.

Subalpine big sagebrush grows at 8,800 - 10,000 ft., in CO, north-central WY, southeastern ID and northcentral UT.

Black sage grows at 4,500 - 9,500 ft., primarily in the Great Basin. The crushed leaf has a viscid odor unlike any other sagebrush.

Dwarf or low sagebrush grows at 3,000 - 12,200 ft., from southern CO to western MT, UT, ID, northern CA, OR and WA. Its leaves have a pleasantly minty odor.

Three-tip sage grows at 3,000 - 9,000 ft., in BC, WA, NV, northern UT and western MT. Its leaves have a mild and pleasant odor.

Owyhee or fuzzy sagebrush grows at 3,700 - 6,600 ft., in a few spots in ID, NV and OR.

Stiff sagebrush grows at 3,000 - 7,000 ft., in the Columbia River Basin of eastern WA, eastern OR, western ID and western MT.

Bud sagebrush grows at 3,000 - 8,000 ft., in MT, OR, CA, AZ, ID, UT and NM. A small sagebrush that grows only to about one foot high. It blooms in the spring with yellowish green flowers.