Collected Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata)

[ShadyStump]

If I wasn't very recently made incredibly paranoid about the efficacy of USPS shipping I'd send you a few. They're incredibly hardy, so unless it's the dead of summer you can often manage to move one just about any time of year if you're gentle and smart about it.

I would bet your eBay guy pulled it right out of the ground in mid-July, threw it straight into the box, then waited through the weekend to ship it.

 

[ponderingsage]

Hartinez,
Yeah, l collected it from the middle of an old BLM road. l imagine the bottom of trucks gave it the bends. The road was so seldom driven that it had since recovered.
Haven't done any work on it. It has much tighter foliage than my other sagebrush, so l couldn't pass it up

 

[Hartinez]

I would love to try one again but it is a challenge for my climate.
I bought one on eBay last year and the seller sent me a dead plant and said it would revive. It didn't.

Just maybe Penumbra they would do just fine in your area. It sounds like you weren’t even given the chance to figure that out, based on the bogus plant that seller sent your way. That must have been frustrating. If I can get a handful next spring I’ll put a small one aside with your name all over it.

 

[HorseloverFat]

This isn’t a bragging thing....

But I’ve probably burned more sage than MOST here.. excluding Penumbra, I’m sure.

These plants are sooo cool!!! I want one.. the Artemisias that can live here... are fairly “crappy” compared to that sagebrush!

 

[Hartinez]

This isn’t a bragging thing....

But I’ve probably burned more sage than MOST here.. excluding Penumbra, I’m sure.

These plants are sooo cool!!! I want one.. the Artemisias that can live here... are fairly “crappy” compared to that sagebrush!

Oh yeah, back in my college and band days we were burning sage all the time. As much as i enjoyed a good Nag Champa burn, nothing quite smelled like white sage. Ive made several smudge sticks from the ones in Taos.

 

[ShadyStump]

Just don't mistake the common name SAGEbrush for it being actual sage, of the salvia genus. Was reading on these yesterday and learned that they are highly toxic because the essential oils they produce are 40% camphor.

So excited about that! Camphor is banned in the US by the FDA, but now I know of a work around!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Just don't mistake the common name SAGEbrush for it being actual sage, of the salvia genus. Was reading on these yesterday and learned that they are highly toxic because the essential oils they produce are 40% camphor.

So excited about that! Camphor is banned in the US by the FDA, but now I know of a work around!

Orrr Diviner’s Sage (Salvia Divornum)

 

[Hartinez]

These things continue to look better as new growth comes in. No major extensions just yet, but a full head of healthy foliage for sure. Pretty amazing considering these were collected in
March. ome interesting things I’ve noted so far.

-The live vein is a bright, almost white, when the bark is stripped back. A clear differentiation can be made between live and dead which likens itself more to a juniper in my opinion. it’ll be interesting to see the detail that can be pulled when I really get in and detail the live and dead portions.

-the foliage seems awfully root dependent. I forgot what you call that, but specific roots seem to feed specific sections of tree. It almost seems that on some specimen the entire tree can be split apart to create multiple from one.

-thicker, seemingly brittle branches become very pliable after a hard rain. Makes me think extensive shaping can be had at any time as long as you soak the branch first.

-I water these pretty heavily every day and they sit in full sun all day. They have also seen a few days of under-watering. Don’t seem to skip a beat. It’ll be interesting to see how the dead portions hold up with the daily watering over time.

 

[Hartinez]

Thinking of removing some of the foliage on the bottom right next spring. Thought it would tighten up the image a bit. Plus I’m thinking a round pot would look best.

 

[ShadyStump]

Thinking of removing some of the foliage on the bottom right next spring. Thought it would tighten up the image a bit. Plus I’m thinking a round pot would look best.

I agree with the round pot. Maybe earth tones, but that's my general preference for more rugged trees.
I'm afraid that if you remove much more foliage the whole bush will just look more dead, though. Perhaps transitioning to a slant style will add some of the interest it feels like you're looking for. It'd take re-wiring your pads to a new horizon, but but would give a sense of directionality to the scene.

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Ahh, so that’s what those are. We have loads here too

I’d love to grab one at some point

 

[Hartinez]

Spent New Years at my wife’s child hood home. Taos, New Mexico and specifically, Arroyo Seco, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Also where all of these sage were collected. You can see them all in these photos covered in a blanket of snow. -5 F tonight and lower tomorrow night. I’d say Sage Brush is awfully hardy. In the ground at least, but so far so good on the potted ones I’ve got wintering outside.

 

[RJG2]

Spent New Years at my wife’s child hood home. Taos, New Mexico and specifically, Arroyo Seco, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Also where all of these sage were collected. You can see them all in these photos covered in a blanket of snow. -5 F tonight and lower tomorrow night. I’d say Sage Brush is awfully hardy. In the ground at least, but so far so good on the potted ones I’ve got wintering outside.
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Send one up to me in Maine

 

[penumbra]

I love these plants. I bought one off eBay but it came to me dead and drier than a popcorn fart.

 

[Carol 83]

I love these plants. I bought one off eBay but it came to me dead and drier than a popcorn fart.

Lol, my dad used that phrase, still makes me chuckle.

 

[ShadyStump]

Spent New Years at my wife’s child hood home. Taos, New Mexico and specifically, Arroyo Seco, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Also where all of these sage were collected. You can see them all in these photos covered in a blanket of snow. -5 F tonight and lower tomorrow night. I’d say Sage Brush is awfully hardy. In the ground at least, but so far so good on the potted ones I’ve got wintering outside.
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And people wonder why I enjoy winter camping trips.

Up here on the north end of the Sangres there's a couple feet in the high passes already. It'd be worth some snowshoes except for 30 mph constituting a gentle breeze up there this time of year.

 

[penumbra]

I love the long views of mountain hiking in winter. But our winter skies are generally grey where I live.

 

[Hartinez]

I love the long views of mountain hiking in winter. But our winter skies are generally grey where I live.

Even after it dumps snow like this, we often get these bright blue vistas for days after, where the landscape is fully covered in snow and bright as can be from the clear skies. It’s pretty spectacular.

 

[penumbra]

Even after it dumps snow like this, we often get these bright blue vistas for days after, where the landscape is fully covered in snow and bright as can be from the clear skies. It’s pretty spectacular.

It is indeed spectacular. That is intense blue.I really hope to see New Mexico but there are a lot more grains in the bottom of the hour glass than there are in the top. As a student of Stephen Buhner, I have long wanted to visit the Sonoran Desert.
We are going to get a little snow tonight. I loved being the first one on the trail after a snow, but I am presently grounded.

 

[Hartinez]

It is indeed spectacular. That is intense blue.I really hope to see New Mexico but there are a lot more grains in the bottom of the hour glass than there are in the top. As a student of Stephen Buhner, I have long wanted to visit the Sonoran Desert.
We are going to get a little snow tonight. I loved being the first one on the trail after a snow, but I am presently grounded.

Well if you ever find yourself out this way, don’t hesitate to reach out. Would love to show you some of the sites and scenes.