Brush - Range & Pasture - Sand Sagebrush
BES-TEX BRUSH ID GUIDE
Sand Sagebrush
Sandsage
Artemisia filifolia
Plant Type
Woody-based shrub; sunflower family (Asteraceae)
Life Cycle
Perennial; native
Leaf Habit
[PLACEHOLDER]
Typical Height
Usually less than 13 ft (Texas A&M)
Photo Gallery
How to Identify It
Quick ID
Leaves
- Thread-like, under 1 mm wide, up to 8 cm long, light green
- Faint aromatic scent (Texas A&M)
Stems
- Young stems reddish brown, then silver-gray
- Bark peels in narrow strips (Texas A&M)
Flowers
- Dense, leafy, plume-like heads, late summer to early fall (Texas A&M)
Look-Alikes
Other sagebrush
- How to tell them apart from sand sagebrush: [PLACEHOLDER]
Counter script: "If it is a silvery rounded shrub on deep sand with fine thread-like aromatic leaves, it is most likely sand sagebrush."
Where It Grows
Texas
- Ecoregions (Texas A&M): Edwards Plateau, Rolling Plains, High Plains, Trans-Pecos
Oklahoma
- Western third of the state (OSU)
New Mexico
- [PLACEHOLDER]
Sites and soils: Dunes, sandhills, and deep sandy soils; increases with overgrazing and resprouts after fire (Texas A&M). Stabilized dunes or deep loose sands (OSU).
Best Time to Control
Best treatment timing for sand sagebrush: [PLACEHOLDER]. Follow the product label.
Sand sagebrush is a woody perennial. No pre-emergent herbicide controls sand sagebrush.
Treatment Methods
Foliar / Broadcast
- Surmount (Corteva) lists sand sagebrush (Surmount label)
- Rate and timing: follow the label
- Sand sagebrush helps hold sandy soil; plan grass cover before removal (Texas A&M notes it prevents erosion)
Individual Plant vs. Broadcast
- Density guidance for this plant: [PLACEHOLDER]
- Follow the label for broadcast use
Product names are examples only. Always read and follow the product label. For product selection and help, contact BES-TEX at 325.653.1300.
Sources: Surmount label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-480; Texas A&M Plants of Texas Rangelands; Oklahoma State University Extension.
