Red-flowered Buckwheat, Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

About Red-flowered Buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens) 68 Nurseries Carry This Plant

Add to My Plant List

Red Buckwheat is a rare native perennial herb. It is endemic to three of the northern Channel Islands (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz) but is now widely planted on the mainland. In the wild it tends to grow in dry cliffs, at elevations from 0-700 feet, although it may have been more widespread on these islands before the introduction of domestic livestock. It is a mat-forming plant producing tall, stout flower clusters of white, pink or red flowers.The naked inflorescence rises as much as 12 inches above the leaves. The flowers are held in ball-like clusters at the top, and its long bloom time in summer makes it popular with pollinators, especially butterflies. Leaves are located mainly at the base of the plant and are wavy along the edges, and up to 10 cm long; the upper side is dark green, the underside is very pale. Although it is spreading, it doesn't spread far or fast and retains a petite form. It is useful in rock gardens, spilling over a wall, or in the understory of larger plants. Despite its island origin, it performs well inland if given some afternoon shade and a little extra water. Two other recognized varieties are found on other islands but these are not available horticulturally.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb

Size

0.7 - 1.5 ft tall
3 ft wide

Form

Spreading

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

Cream, Pink, White, Red

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported

Numerous birds and insects
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 11 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinusStrymon melinus

Acmon Blue Icaricia acmonIcaricia acmon

Dotted Blue Euphilotes enoptesEuphilotes enoptes

Bramble Hairstreak Callophrys dumetorumCallophrys dumetorum

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Brown Arches Moth Lacinipolia strictaLacinipolia stricta

Buckwheat Borer Moth Synanthedon polygoniSynanthedon polygoni

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 68

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage

Slow

Soil Description

This plant is said to be tolerant of clay and alkaline soils. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Island companions include Island Ironwood (Lyonothamnus fasciculatus ssp. asplenifolius), Catalina Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii), St. Catherine's Lace (Eriogonum giganteum), Island Buckwheat (Eriogonum arborescens), Island Morning Glory (Calystegia macrostegia), Island Ceanothus (Ceanothus arboreus), Channel Islands Tree Poppy (Dendromecon hardordii), Island Alum Root (Heuchera maxima), Island Mallow (Lavatera Assurgentiflora), Island Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia fragrans), Island Oak (Quercus tomentella), Catalina Island Gooseberry (Ribes virburnifolium), and Santa Rosa Island Sage (Salvia brandegeei)

Maintenance

Deadhead to stimulate more flowers

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones?

5, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry, rocky cliffs and protected pockets on the northern Channel Islands where the dominant atmospheric conditions are strongly marine influenced

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 11.8" - 15.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 0.19", Coldest Month: 49.3" - 54.1", Hottest Month: 60.3" - 68.8", Humidity: 1.29" - 12.76", Elevation: 0" - 1092"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Redflower Buckwheat, Rosy Buckwheat

Print Plant Sign Print Plant Label

Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Red-flowered Buckwheat

Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Red-flowered BuckwheatEriogonum grande var. rubescens

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Red-flowered Buckwheat

Eriogonum grande var. rubescens