Years ago, when I worked in an industry tied to real estate and homebuilding in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, I questioned what then seemed the ludicrous insistence of a homeowner that every sagebrush disturbed during construction of her home be replanted. It's not like they're scarce or endangered - sagebrush literally cover vast sections of hill- and mountainsides in this region. And they're scrubby and stunted and not much to look at, for the most part. But when the gloaming light illuminated these trailside specimens seemingly from within, highlighting their beautiful structural lines and bloom-tipped branches, I had a better understanding of why someone might love the ubiquitous sagebrush enough to ensure that they regained their place in the sun.
