Which description best characterizes Big sagebrush?

• A. Perennial, highly branched evergreen shrub
• B. Annual herb with pink flowers
• C. Deciduous shrub with bright red berries
• D. Biennial grass with broad leaves

Answer: (A)

Big sagebrush is best described as a perennial, evergreen shrub. It grows as a woody plant with many branches and retains its foliage year-round, which is why it appears evergreen and has a shrub-like, rather than herbaceous, form. This contrasts with an annual herb, which completes its life cycle in one year and typically lacks woody stems; a deciduous shrub would lose most or all of its leaves in winter, not keep them year-round; and a biennial grass would have a non-woody, grass-like habit. So the description of a long-lived, woody, evergreen shrub fits Big sagebrush precisely.