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California Buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

California buckwheat carries dense flat clusters of small white to pink flowers from late spring into fall, and they fade and dry in place rather than dropping, so they hold on the plant for months and give a dry slope structure through the whole rainless season. Few California natives support more insect life: it is a nectar source for an exceptional range of native bees, wasps and butterflies, and a larval host for several blues and hairstreaks. It is a backbone shrub of coastal sage scrub, low and wide-spreading, and one of the standard species for revegetating road cuts and fire-scarred hillsides. It wants full sun, sharp drainage and no summer water once established; irrigation shortens its life considerably. Cut it back lightly after flowering to keep it dense rather than woody and open at the base.

Family

Polygonaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

perennial

Height

3–3 ft

Spacing

2–5 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

neutral, alkaline

Bloom

May, June, July, August, September, October

Bloom colors

white, pink

Wildlife value

pollinators, butterflies, songbirds, larval host

Landscape uses

foundation

Native states

AZ, CA, NV, UT