Eriogonum

( err - ee - OG - on - um )

At-A-Glance Information

Also called Wild Buckwheat, this shrubby perennial grows best in full sun with little to moderate water. The flowers on this bush attract bees and butterflies and the seeds attract birds. Blooms last for a long season and generally fade to shades of tan, brown, and copper. Native to the California Coast, these plants have flowers that last a long time as cut flowers in water and can also be used in dried arrangements. These small shrubs are great choices for a rock garden.

Eriogonum Species and Varietals

The genus Eriogonum includes about 125 species and is a member of the family Polygonaceae. The genus name Eriogonum is derived from the Greek words for wool ('erion') and knee or joint ('gonu'), a name given to this group of plants by French botanist Andre Michaux in reference to the bent nature of the flower stems and the wooly feeling of the foliage. The best growing zones for Eriogonum depend on the species; see the descriptions below for more information. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Eriogonum arborescens (Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat)
This species grows best in zones 5, 7-9 and 14-24. This shrub is native to Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and the Anacapa Islands in southern California. Gets 3-4 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide. Bark is shredded and greyish red. Grey leaves cluster at the end of branches, and groups of pale rose pink flowers appear at the end of spring through summer.

Eriogonum cinereum (Ashleyleaf Buckwheat)
Grows best in zones 5, 14-17 and 19-24. Grows 2-5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Leaves are ash-colored and flowers are pale pink and form in ball-shaped clusters in summer. Native to the coast and canyons of southern California.

​Eriogonum crocatum (Saffron Buckwheat)
This shrub grows best in zones 14-24 and is native to southern California. This is a more compact variety, getting to 1.5 feet and 2 feet wide. White wooly leaves and yellow flowers in clusters appear in early spring to late summer.

​Eriogonum fasciculatum (California Buckwheat)
Native to the foothills of California, this species forms a clump 1-3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Dark green leaves are wooly and white underneath. Grow best in zones 7-9 and 12-24. Pink or white flowers appear late spring to early fall. Great for erosion control. Varieties include 'Theodore Payne' (lower-growing) and 'Warriner Lytle' (makes an attractive groundcover).

Eriogonum fasciculatum polifolium (Arizona Buckwheat)
Native to the inland California mountains and Western Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Flowers are a muted light pink and foliage is dark green.

​Eriogonum giganteum (Saint Catherine's Lace)
Grows best in zones 5, 7-9 and 14-24. This shrub is native to the Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands in Southern California. It can reach between 1.5 and 6 feet tall and 4-10 feet wide, making it one of the largest species on this list. Free-branching habit, with greyish white leaves and a longer blooming period than other species.

​Eriogonum umbellatum (Sulfur Flower)
This species grows best in zones 1-24, Leaves are green above and white felted underneath. Blooms pop in late spring to early summer with yellow flowers that age to a rust color. Varieties include 'Shasta Sulfur' (low, silvery green mound with yellow flowers), 'Sierra' (forms a low dome with bright yellow flower clusters), and ​Eriogonum umbellatum aureum (or Kannah Creek Sulphur Buckwheat, with bright yellow flowers that age to an orange/rust color).

​Eriogonum wrightii (Wright's Buckwheat)
Grows best in zones 7-11 and 14-24. Wand-like stems on this shrub form a mound 1.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Silvery green felted leaves and tiny white to pink flowers form in clusters along stalks in summer through fall.

Caring for and pruning eriogonum shrubs

These shrubs are considered easy to care for and grow; they commonly grow and reproduce in the wilderness with no assistance whatsoever. Plant these tough shrubs in full sun with dry to slightly moist soil. They are drought tolerant once established and will not need supplemental water once mature. Take care to not keep the soil too moist, as this will create issues with root rot. Pruning is simple for these shrubs, they need to be cut back every 2 years to control shape and rejuvenate the plant. Each year once flowering is done, spent blooms can be sheared off the plant. This is a good practice if you do not want these plants to freely reseed. 

Propagation

Eriogonum can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Eriononum by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Eriogonum by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds in late August. Eriogonum seeds are contained inside of the dried flower heads on the plant. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Eriogonum seeds are contained in the dried flower heads of the shrub.
Eriogonum seeds.

Problems and Pests

Eriogonum shrubs are generally pest and disease free. 
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Gallery

Wild Buckwheat is at home in rock gardens.
Grow Eriogonum with other low-water use plants, or in naturalized areas.
Eriogonum plants grow wild all over California.

Videos

A Master Gardener Program video on Buckwheats.
All about California Buckwheat.
An introduction to Buckwheat.
How to identify California Buckwheat.

Resources

Eriogonum fasciculatum (California Buckwheat)
How to Prune CA Buckwheat
Eriogonum - Buckwheat
St. Catherine's Lace, Eriogonum giganteum
Wikipedia: Eriogonum
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 306 - 307, Eriogonum (Wild Buckwheat)
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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