#chenopodiaceae

Description: Winterfat (also called Winter Sage and White Sage) is a hairy, grey and white subshrub up to 3’ high and 3’ across, with woody stems at the base and herbaceous branchlets. It may resemble some of the sage (Artemisia) species that grow in the same area, but it is not a sage, and unlike the sages, winterfat’s foliage is odorless. Its leaves are narrow, fine-textured, and fuzzy with margins rolled under. Wooly grey foliage and fluffy white seed heads are winterfat’s main attractions, though it does sport inconspicuous blooms in late spring or early summer. Winterfat specimens are usually monoecious, meaning it has separate male and female flowers on one and the same plant. None of the flowers have petals. Male flowers develop in clusters, forming a spike at the ends of branches. A smaller number of female flowers, each nestled between a pair of hairy bracts, usually appear below the male flowers, toward the bottom of each spike. Wind is the primary pollinator for this plant. Fruits with silky white hairs develop from the female flowers, the hairs facilitating windblown seed dispersion. Sometimes, a dioecious specimen occurs, having only flowers of a single sex. The seed heads will only develop on specimens with female flowers. Winterfat is evergreen, retaining its foliage in the winter, when it is an important, high-protein forage plant for bighorn sheep, mule deer, pronghorn and rabbits. The common name “winterfat” is a nod to this high rank as a winter food source. This shrub also provides nesting cover for birds. Native Americans used this plant for medicinal purposes and a hair wash. Overall, it’s an excellent garden plant for fall and winter interest, and also a good choice for reclamation. This shrub develops both a deep tap root as well as a fibrous root system that stays near the surface of the soil. USDA calls winterfat an important pioneer species, meaning it is among the first plants to move in to claim disturbed areas, such as areas that have been mined. That trait, its root structure, moderately fast growth rate, and tolerance for dry, poor soils make it a good choice for mixing with native grasses to control erosion. 

Height: 2-3’

Spread/Spacing: 2-3’/ plant 4’ apart

Exposure: full sun

Soil Tolerances: Grows in a wide variety of soil textures (sandy, loamy, or clayey), but must be well-draining, non-acidic. Prefers basic or limey soils.

Soil Moisture: dry

Water: low; excellent drought tolerance

Bloom: June - August; inconspicuous with no petals

Pollinator value: Provides nesting cover for rodents and birds. Winterfat attracts bees and butterflies, but is pollinated mainly by wind.

Deer & Rabbit Resistance: No. This is a forage plant for both mule deer and rabbits. It withstands browsing, however, and sends up new sprouts from near the plant base if damaged or severely eaten back.

Where they like to grow: up to 10,000 feet elevation; salt deserts, plains and foothills; in pinyon-juniper communities, among sagebrush and grasses, and at edges of forests.

Cultivation Notes: The leaves stay on the plant through the winter. In spring, the old leaves fall and the shrub regenerates new foliage.  

Description: This is an attractive semi-evergreen shrub with small, narrow gray-green foliage. The plant’s grayish cast comes from tiny white scales that cover the leaves. This trait (canescent leaves) is the focus of the descriptive part of the plant’s scientific name. Beyond the fuzzy narrow leaves, specific characteristics of the species can be quite variable due to frequent cross-breeding with related species in the wild. But, generally, the shrub has a mounding shape and usually stays under 8’ tall and 6’ wide. It can be shaped with a pruning in February or cut back by a third to reinvigorate. Some plants are male, some are female, and some plants, amazingly, will change sex after experiencing certain triggers, such as an extremely cold or extremely dry year. Male plants develop clusters of tiny greenish flowers in spring-summer, but don’t develop any seed pods. Female plants are showier, presenting clusters of tiny yellow flowers in spring and early summer and, later in the season, sporting papery, golden “four-winged” seed pods up and down their branches. (The seed pods are still young and greenish in the picture above.) When planted in soils with higher saline content, this shrub stores salt in its leaves, shedding excessive salt by dropping leaves during long periods of drought. This species is known to grow faster and photosynthesize better in soils with medium to high salinity levels. It favors soils on the dry side, needs good drainage beneath it, and does not do well planted over high water tables.

Height: 2-6’ (infrequently to 10’)

Spread/Spacing: 4-6’; best spaced 6-8’ apart.

Exposure: Full sun.

Soil Tolerances: Adapts well to any well-drained soil, sandy to clayey. Prefers deep loamy, sandy, or gravelly soils, but sometimes found growing in thick clay. Medium to high salinity levels can actually spur growth rate and photosynthesis in this plant.

Soil Moisture: Dry to moist.

Water: Low, excellent drought tolerance.

Bloom: June - August. Flowers are tiny and especially insignificant on male plants, but a large number of clusters can make for a good display on female plants. Female plants develop showy seed pods that turn from green to golden-tan as they mature.

Pollinator value: Bees and butterflies (flowers); Birds (seeds)

Deer & Rabbit Resistance: Browsed by mammals; best to cage or otherwise protect until at least 2-3’ high.