Artemisia pycnocephala
David's Choice

Soft, silvery, and beautifully low maintenance, Artemisia pycnocephala ‘David’s Choice’ is a California native foliage perennial with a refined coastal look. Its bright silver-gray leaves form a handsome, textural mound that brings year-round contrast to dry gardens, native plantings, sunny borders, and low-water landscapes.

Also known as beach sagewort, this hardy artemisia is excellent for pairing with California poppies, native sages, buckwheats, penstemons, yarrow, grasses, and other drought tolerant perennials. In summer, subtle yellow flowers add seasonal interest, but the real prize is the luminous foliage, which softens plantings and makes neighboring flower colors look even richer.

Plant Artemisia pycnocephala ‘David’s Choice’ in full sun to part shade with well-drained soil. It needs little water once established and is a strong choice for gardeners who want durable, beautiful foliage with minimal fuss. Trim as needed to keep it tidy. Explore more water-wise natives in our California Native Perennials collection.

The foliage mound is generally 6–12 inches tall and may spread 2–3 feet, so give it enough room to soften a border edge. Shearing away the comparatively modest flower stems keeps the silver cushion dense and prevents the center from becoming woody.

We guarantee that the plants we sell are healthy and viable at the time they leave our care.

If a plant arrives in substandard condition, please take clear photographs and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. To ensure eligibility under this guarantee, we strongly encourage you to open and unpack your shipment immediately upon delivery and inspect the plants thoroughly.

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Standard live-plant shipping to eligible destinations is $16.99 for 1–6 plants, $22.99 for 7–12, $28.99 for 13–18, $34.99 for 19–24, and $40.99 for 25–30. For 31 or more plants, shipping is 20% of the order value. Expedited shipping is priced separately at checkout.

(AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV)
(list of states subject to change seasonally due to extreme heat or cold conditions)

We cannot ship Annie's Annuals plants to P.O. boxes or outside the continental U.S.

Individual plants are shipped in 4" pots and we ship in boxes of 4, 6, 8, or 12 plants per box.

For more details, read our full Ordering and Shipping Policies

Get your plants off to a strong start with our care guide.

Download the Plant Care Guide (PDF)