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Eriogonum  arborescens  Santa Cruz Island buckwheat
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Eriogonum arborescens

(Santa Cruz Island buckwheat)

A large, shrubby buckwheat with narrow, pale green foliage and sturdy, flat-topped inflorescences of creamy white to pink flowers. The flowers age over time, eventually turning reddish brown, remaining ornamental for a long period. Grows 3 to 4  ft. tall and slightly wider. Normal to very lean well-drained soils. Especially drought tolerant along the coast, may need infrequent summer water inland and possibly a little afternoon shade. Buckwheats are excellent additions to habitat gardens, providing pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies and seeds for many creatures. Deer resistant.
Eriogonum compositum - yellow flowered form  arrowleaf buckwheat
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Eriogonum compositum - yellow flowered form

(arrowleaf buckwheat)

This unusual form of the native arrowleaf buckwheat features soft yellow flowers, as opposed to the more come cream-colored ones. In spring, flattened clusters of blossoms emerge on stout stems held at least a foot above rounded mounds of large, fuzzy, gray-green leaves, reaching up to 2 ft wide. Found in gravelly soils in seasonally dry areas which bake in summer but freeze in the winter. Plant in full sun and water infrequently once plants are established. A surprisingly adaptable species which does well in local gardens. As with other buckwheats, butterflies and bees love the flowers. Numerous butterfly species use this plant as a larval host. Native from Sonoma and Napa Counties north to Washington and east to Idaho.
Eriogonum crocatum  saffron buckwheat
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Eriogonum crocatum

(saffron buckwheat)

A rare buckwheat grown for its beautiful gray, felty foliage and bright, clear yellow flowers. The yellow flowers open from brown buds and then age to a dark rusty brown. Grows 1 - 2 ft. tall and wide, this perennial requires full sun and good drainage. Little to no summer water once established. This Ventura County, California native is hardy to about 15°F. Good nectar source for bees and butterflies. Deer resistant.

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Eriogonum elongatum

(wand buckwheat)

This buckwheat is native to dry, rocky places, from Monterey Bay south to Baja, in coastal scrub and chaparral plant communities. Super drought tolerant and late blooming, supporting native bees, parasitic and predatory insects and butterflies. Forms a low mound of gray foliage, topped with long, leafless, flower stems, rising 2 - 3 ft. tall. Flowers late in the summer with ball-like clusters of tiny white and pink flowers spaced along the tall, gray, tomentose stems. Full sun, good drainage. Tolerant of serpentine soils. Deer resistant.
Eriogonum fasciculatum  California buckwheat
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Eriogonum fasciculatum

(California buckwheat)

This adaptable buckwheat is a native of central and southern California. It is a pioneer plant capable of surviving and colonizing some of the hottest driest sites. These attributes are very useful in a garden setting but it should not be planted in or adjacent to wildlands where it may escape and displace local natives. Small native shrub, forming a broad mound 3-4 ft. high and at least 4 ft. wide. Flower clusters are creamy white to pink, turning an attractive rust color with age. Good erosion control plant - best in a well drained, sunny site. Flowers attractive to bees and butterflies. Deer resistant.
Eriogonum fasciculatum 'Warriner Lytle' California buckwheat
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Eriogonum fasciculatum 'Warriner Lytle'

(California buckwheat)

An interesting form of California buckwheat introduced by the Theodore Payne Foundation. Grows quickly into a low and spreading evergreen groundcover clothed with small, needle-like leaves, 18 inches tall and 6 to 8 feet wide. From late spring to early fall, tight clusters of creamy-whitish pink flowers appear which are very attractive to bees and butterflies. As the flowers go to seed they gradually turn dark russet and are attractive to seed eating birds and mammals. Excellent for dry slopes where it will grow in full sun to light shade with good drainage. Quite drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.  
Eriogonum giganteum  St. Catherine's Lace
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Eriogonum giganteum

(St. Catherine's Lace)

Native to the Channel Islands of Southern California, this buckwheat can grow to be a very large mounding shrub with gray felted leaves, 3 - 4 ft. tall or more. The flower stalks have large, flat sprays of cream-colored to pale pink flowers in summer and are prized by arrangers of dried bouquets. Flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies and birds enjoy the seeds. Best in sunny well-drained sites. Drought tolerant but in hot inland situations they look best with occasional deep waterings in summer.
Eriogonum grande var. rubescens  red buckwheat
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Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

(red buckwheat)

A small, colorful, and highly ornamental native perennial for a sunny spot. Low mounds of grey-green foliage feature flower stems up to a foot tall with rounded heads of intense rosy-pink. Buckwheats have substantial wildlife value, providing pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies, larval food for butterflies, seeds for birds and cover for many creatures. Drought tolerant once established and appreciates decently draining soil. An excellent rock garden plant.
Eriogonum heracleoides  Wyeth buckwheat
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Eriogonum heracleoides

(Wyeth buckwheat)

Plant description coming soon.
Eriogonum latifolium  coastal bluff buckwheat
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Eriogonum latifolium

(coastal bluff buckwheat)

Native to our coastal bluffs, this perennial forms neat mounds of silvery white foliage under 1 ft. tall. Flowers develop in dense pom-poms and are creamy white to pinkish. Tolerates sun, wind and drought once established but needs decent drainage. Provide occasional summer irrigation to keep them looking their best. Buckwheats have substantial wildlife value, providing pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies, larval food for butterflies, seeds for birds and cover for many creatures. Deer resistant.
Eriogonum nudum  naked buckwheat
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Eriogonum nudum

(naked buckwheat)

  Few natives are as excellent a source of nectar for bees and butterflies as the buckwheats. This widely distributed species is known for its elegant flower displays on naked stems rising one to three feet above low mounds of grey-green leaves. Naked buckwheat has flower pom-poms ranging in color from white to pink set on slender stems in open clusters up to twelve inches wide. Blooms from late spring into early autumn. Provide full sun to very light shade in soil with decent drainage. Drought tolerant once established. Generally deer resistant.  
Eriogonum nudum 'Ella Nelson's Yellow' naked buckwheat
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Eriogonum nudum 'Ella Nelson's Yellow'

(naked buckwheat)

The naked buckwheat has the widest distribution of all the buckwheats, occurring from the coast to timberline in the mountains. This interesting seed strain was collected by Eric Nelson along the middle fork of the Eel River in Mendocino County and named for his grandmother. Instead of the more common white or pink flowers of the species, this strain has beautiful yellow flowers. The spoon shaped leaves which form a low rosette are grey green on top and white and wooly beneath. Late spring brings a multitude of small, bright yellow flowers carried on the bare, leafless stems 18-24 inches above the foliage. Best on well drained soils in full sun where they are drought tolerant once established. Buckwheats are highly attractive to nectar feeding insects. Deer resistant.

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Eriogonum nudum - robust form

(naked buckwheat)

This buckwheat came to us by way of Ginny Hunt and her seed company Seedhunt. Collected from a local race (Santa Cruz area) of naked buckwheat where the flower stems rise to 5 foot or more! Naked buckwheat is the most widely distributed species of buckwheat, growing throughout the state. Forms low mounds of foliage with tall, slender, naked stems, topped with clusters of white to pinkish pom-poms. Plant in full sun to very light shade with good drainage. Drought tolerant once established. Important pollinator plant. Said to be deer resistant.            

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Eriogonum parvifolium 'Moss Landing'

(seacliff buckwheat)

Native to coastal bluffs of the central and south coast. Forms a mounding shrub 2 ft. or more tall by 2 – 3 ft. wide with thick, dark green, triangular shaped leaves often with a reddish tinge, and white and woolly beneath. Round pom-poms of white to pink flowers over a long period late spring and summer, fade to an attractive russet brown. A natural for coastal areas where it grows fast in full sun with good drainage and is very drought tolerant once established. Inland, a little afternoon shade is recommended. Looks great on slopes or draping over walls.  An important pollinator plant, appealing to a wide array of insects. In its native range, the rare and endangered El Segundo blue butterfly relies exclusively on this species in all stages of its life cycle. Deer tolerant.        
Eriogonum umbellatum  sulphur flower buckwheat
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Eriogonum umbellatum

(sulphur flower buckwheat)

Intense yellow flowers in flat-topped clusters sit atop short stems above grey to green foliage. Ranging in height from 10 to 18 inches, this highly variable and widely distributed California native is an excellent addition to the drought tolerant garden. Provide decent drainage and occasional to no irrigation once established. Full sun to light shade. Just like all buckwheats, this species is loved by bees and butterflies. The foliage is deer resistant but they may nibble the flowers.
Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum 'Kannah Creek' golden sulphur flower buckwheat
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Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum 'Kannah Creek'

(golden sulphur flower buckwheat)

Selected from the Kannah Creek region of Western Colorado, this durable perennial will make a fine addition to the dry garden. Forms low mats of leathery leaves 12-24 inches wide, which turn shades of red and purple in the autumn. Masses of bright yellow flowers on stalks 12-15 inches tall appear late spring to early summer and deepen in color to orange as they age. Plant in full sun to light shade with occasional to little water. Drought tolerant once established. Buckwheats attract an array of beneficial insects, provide pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies and seeds for birds.
Eriogonum umbellatum var. polyanthum 'Shasta Sulphur' sulphur flower buckwheat
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Eriogonum umbellatum var. polyanthum 'Shasta Sulphur'

(sulphur flower buckwheat)

A striking selection of the sulphur flower buckwheat. Great choice for a dry sunny border or rock garden with decent drainage. Grows 1+1/2 ft. tall by 2 ft. broad. Smothered with clusters of intensely yellow flowers in spring which fade to orange russet then coppery brown. Needs full sun to bright shade and is drought tolerant once established. Buckwheats have substantial wildlife value, providing pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies, larval food for butterflies, seeds for birds and cover for many creatures. Deer resistant.
Eriogonum vimineum  wicker buckwheat
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Eriogonum vimineum

(wicker buckwheat)

Here is an ANNUAL buckwheat found throughout much of California, growing on gravely and volcanic soils. Summer brings showy domes of rose-pink flowers held on wiry stems 18 inches above small clumps of basal leaves. Buckwheats are excellent for attracting beneficial insects providing pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies and seeds for birds. Plant in full sun with little water once established. Good container plant too.
Eriophyllum confertiflorum  golden yarrow
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Eriophyllum confertiflorum

(golden yarrow)

Native to dry sites in many plant communities of California. Forms a mound of pale green, finely cut foliage with woolly undersides 12-24 inches tall. Late spring and summer brings domes of bright golden yellow daisies in dense heads. Tough little shrublet for the dry garden in full sun where its interesting fine-textured foliage provides a useful contrast to grasses and bold-leaved shrubs and perennials. The flowers provide nectar to bees and butterflies. Needs good drainage.
Eriophyllum lanatum 'Horseshoe Cove' woolly sunflower
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Eriophyllum lanatum 'Horseshoe Cove'

(woolly sunflower)

This western native grows on rocky slopes and bluffs over a wide range of plant communities in California, Oregon and Washington. This low dense coastal selection forms a mat of woolly, bright green foliage just a few inches tall and 1-2 ft. across, topped with cheerful golden yellow daisies rising to 6 inches tall, late spring and summer. The flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Larval host plant for the painted lady butterfly. Plant in full sun to light shade inland with good drainage and moderate summer water.
Eriophyllum lanatum 'Siskiyou' woolly sunflower
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Eriophyllum lanatum 'Siskiyou'

(woolly sunflower)

An extremely variable species ranging from the immediate coast to the high mountains of California and into Oregon. The cultivar 'Siskiyou' is a Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery selection. Lush gray-green woolly foliage forms low mats up to 10 inches and 2-3 feet wide. Blooms over a long period, spring into fall with cheery 2 inch golden-yellow daisies. This tough perennial will thrive in full sun to light shade, decent drainage and moderate to infrequent summer water once established. The open faced daisies are an excellent sources of pollen and nectar and make good platforms for insects to perch, attracting butterflies, bees and other insects. Larval host plant for the painted lady butterfly.      
Eriophyllum staechadifolium  lizard tail
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Eriophyllum staechadifolium

(lizard tail)

This native perennial is perfect for coastal environments where it tolerates full sun, wind, salt spray and drought. Forms leafy mounds 2 - 3 ft. tall and at least as wide. The foliage is grey-green above and silvery beneath with flower heads densley packed with tiny golden-yellow daisies from May through August. Drought tolerant but appreciates occasional summer waterings, especially when grown away from the coast. Excellent for pollinators. Tip pruning helps keep the mounds tidy. Annual pruning back will refresh.
Erysimum concinnum  Point Reyes wallflower
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Erysimum concinnum

(Point Reyes wallflower)

Plant description coming soon!
Erysimum franciscanum  San Francisco wallflower
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Erysimum franciscanum

(San Francisco wallflower)

This rare and threatened species makes its home in the sand dunes and hills of the San Francisco Bay area.  Development has seriously impacted its native habitat.  Fragrant, four-petaled flowers ranging in color from creamy white to yellow rise up to 18” above dark green foliage in the spring and early summer.  Thrives with good drainage and occasional water once established.  Plant this special wallflower in full sun with other small perennials such as buckwheats, checkermallows and coyote mint. Attractive to butterflies.      
Erysimum  menziesii  Menzie's wallflower
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Erysimum menziesii

(Menzie's wallflower)

A rare species native to sand dunes along the north coast of California. Forms tight mounds of narrow leaves 8-12 inches tall and wide.  Bright-yellow fragrant flowers bloom in late spring and will continue into summer with a little additional summer watering. The fragrant flowers are butterfly favorites. Adaptable and can seed about if happy, though not weedy. Requires good drainage, full sun, to light shade inland, with moderate to occasional summer water. Said to be deer tolerant.   

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