Plant Data

Names and Taxonomy

  • Common Names: Winterfat, White Sage, and Wintersage
  • Synonyms: Ceratoides lanata, Ceratoides lanata var. ruinina, Ceratoides lanata var. subspinosa, Eurotia lanata, Eurotia lanata var. subspinosa
  • Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth)
  • Genus Information:

Habit and Size

  • Duration: Perenial
  • Habit: shrub
  • Shape: Columnar
  • Size: Up to 3' (100 cm)
  • Stem: hairy, purple tinged

Leaves

  • Color: white
  • Shape: simple
  • Edge: Entire, smooth
  • Arrangement: Alternate
  • Leaf Retention:

Flowers and Fruit

  • Sex:
  • Flower Color: white, gray
  • Flower Size: 4-8" (5-10 cm)
  • Number of Petals: many
  • Bloom: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
  • Fruit: utricle

Habitat and Growing Conditions

  • Water Use: low
  • Light: Full Sun
  • Soil: sandy
  • Habitat: Rolling plains; rocky mesas; scrubby flats

Distribution

  • Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY
  • Seen: Middle Oak Creek Canyon
  • Elevation: 330–8,860' (100–2,700 m)

Photographs

Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata)

Calico Canyon

Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata)

Middle Oak Creek Canyon