< Back

California Buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

true

1 gallon

California Buckwheat

In stock

3'x5'

Sizes:

California Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum

Found primarily on dry slopes and canyon washes in the American West, including Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, in addition to California and reaching as far as Mexico's northwest. In California it is the most widespread of the shrubby buckwheat species, found in abundance in the southern half of our state.

Evergreen shrub, variable in size, often 3’ high x 5’ wide, but can get bigger, especially wider. It produces profuse pink to white and cream-colored flowers as early as March that dry to a pretty red rust color as the soil dries. It sheds its dried flowers and a significant portion of its small blade-like leaves each dry season, and is an important plant for creating natural mulch. Plants can go through a short dormancy in summer, especially in June-July - this happens the most with plants in containers but can happen with plants in the ground too. They bounce back if we receive monsoonal rain or cooler temperatures in the fall.

California buckwheats are tough and easy to grow, even in very dry conditions. Plant in a well draining sunny site. It shouldn't need much supplemental water after being established. It will be happy if you give it problem soil (rocky, alkaline, etc.).

Flowers, leaves and seeds provide habitat and food for numerous small birds, animals and especially butterflies making California Buckwheat a great choice for wildlife habitats and butterfly gardens.

Indigenous peoples in the west and southwest used different parts of the California buckwheat for nutrition and medicine. The Cahuilla tribe used this plant in many ways: they would treat headaches and stomach pains with tea made from its leaves; treated colds and sore throats with tea made by steeping its roots; and applied poultices made from pounded roots to wounds. Cahuilla peoples also treated heart problems with tea from the dried flowers and dried roots of Eriogonum fasciculatum. Modern science has verified that a chemical compound common to several plant species including Eriogonum can be beneficial to hearts (USDA Plant Profile).

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the US Department of Agriculture, identifies and experiments with natives and other plants for their conservation value - primarily their ability to protect soils from erosion, revegetate burn scars, and provide habitat and sustenance to wildlife as an aid in controlling agricultural pests. Their experiments with California buckwheat show that it has superior value in all three of these categories. The USDA Plant Profile for Eriogonum fasciculatum classifies its performance as a conservation plant on critical areas and problem soils as “excellent.” It receives another “excellent” mark for providing “nectar sources for beneficial insects when planted next to crops as part of an (IPM) Integrated Pest Management program.” They recommend the use of its seeds in seed mixes introduced to burn scars for revegetation. Finally, California buckwheat gets USDA bonus points because it is “ideal for environmental enhancement uses” (government-speak for “beautiful in the landscape”).

Wildlife Value
California Buckwheat plays a vital role in local desert ecosystems, offering nectar throughout a long blooming season to a wide variety of pollinators and providing seeds and shelter that support birds and small mammals in both the Colorado and High Desert regions. Its dense structure also offers important habitat cover for wildlife year-round.

Host Plant: Bernardino Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes bernardino); Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini); Behr's Metalmark (Apodemia virgulti); Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo deserti); Gorgon Copper (Lycaena gorgon); Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus); Bramble Hairstreak (Callophrys perplexa); Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon); Desert Metalmark (Calephelis rawsoni)

Nectar Source: Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini); Becker's White (Pontia beckerii); Checkered White (Pontia protodice); Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus); Hedgerow Hairstreak (Callophrys mossii); Bramble Hairstreak (Callophrys perplexa); Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus); Marine Blue (Leptotes marina); Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola); Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon); Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini); Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus); Northern White-Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum); Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Bird Resources: Nectar; Seeds; Caterpillars; Insects

Bird Species: Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri), and other seed-eating birds feed on the seeds

Bees: Attracts honeybees (Apis mellifera) and numerous native bees, including specialist buckwheat bees (Eriogonum-specialist species) native to the Colorado and Mojave Deserts

Other Wildlife: Provides shelter for lizards, small mammals, and ground-nesting bees

Plant Care

Native region:

Local Native; Mojave Native

Water needs:

Low

Exposure:

Full Sun

Mature size:

3'x5'

Growth rate:

Moderate

Flower color:

White - Pink - Rust

Flower season:

Year-Round

Pruning:

None

Cold Hardiness:

15 Degrees

Nectar-producing:

Yes

Attracts pollinators:

Yes

Nighttime pollinators:

Butterflies or Moths:

Yes

Monarchs:

Yes

Larval host:

Yes

Bees:

Yes

Bats:

Birds:

Yes

Nest site:

Nest materials:

Rabbit-resistant:

Yes

Tortoises:

Growing Plants in the Desert — Important Information

The information presented here is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate and based on reliable research, personal experience in my own garden, observations from other gardens I’ve visited, and time spent studying plants in their native habitats. I always welcome your feedback and experiences to help me continue educating others!

Cacti:
In my experience, cacti are much happier in filtered shade here in the low desert of the Coachella Valley. Their colors are more vibrant and they tend to bloom more profusely, especially the non-native varieties. If you look closely at how our native barrel cactus and beavertail prickly pear grow in the wild, you’ll often find them tucked among rocks or beneath the shelter of creosote and other shrubs.

⚠️ A note of caution: Cacti and succulents are often illegally collected from the wild, which not only damages plant populations but also disturbs entire ecosystems. In some cases, wild populations of cacti have even gone extinct because of this practice. When purchasing these plants, always be sure they’ve been legally obtained. Look for nursery-grown stock or plants with a native plant certification, and keep that documentation for your records.

Light Requirements:
In our desert (Sonoran/Colorado), “full sun” doesn’t always mean what you might think. Many so-called full-sun plants benefit from and actually appreciate some late-afternoon filtered light—especially during the intense summer months.