Buckwheat (12)

	The flowers of the Buckwheat genus, Eriogonum, are tiny and grow in round or long clusters. The leaves are usually basal and the stems often woody. See Wild Buckwheat, Colorado Buckwheat and Sorrel Buckwheat for pink flowers and Sulphur Flowers for yellow varieties. At left is a close up of Annual Buckwheat to show the tiny flowers typical of this genus.
	Creamy Buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum var. majus (E. subalpinum) Family:Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Subalpine Buckwheat Photo taken on: June 27, 2004 Location: Snodgrass, GV, CO Life Zones: Plains to alpine Habitat: Dry meadows Grows in a tight mat of leaves with leafless stems. At lower elevations, the plants can be 12" high.
	The flowers at left growing at 11,000 feet are just a few inches high. Flowers change from creamy white to pink, orange, then red as they age. Flora of North America reference.
	James' Buckwheat Eriogonum jamesii Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Antelope Sage Photo taken on: August 9, 2012 Location: Rio Chama Recreation Area, NM Life Zones: Plains to montane Habitat: Dry open areas Grows to 12" with woody, branched stems. Leaves are spatula shaped and grow to 4" long in a basal rosette with long stalks. Flora of North America reference.
	Cushion Buckwheat Eriogonum ovalifolium Family:Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Silver Plant Photo taken on: September 5,2011 Location: Capulin National Monument, NM Life Zones: Plains to foothills Habitat: Dry, rocky areas Grows to 5" high in mats with small, oval, gray-green leaves. Flowers are white tinged with pink as they age. Flora of North America reference.
	Spearleaf Buckwheat Eriogonum lonchophyllum Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Photo taken on: July 4, 2017 Location: Dillon Pinnacles, CO Life Zones: Foothills to montane Habitat: Openings, roadsides Grows to 2 feet tall and wide with erect, lance-shaped basal leaves. Clusters of tiny flowers grow at the top of many branched stems. Flora of North America reference.
	Slender Buckwheat Eriogonum microthecum Family:Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Simpson's Buckwheat Photo taken on: August 9, 2012 Location: Rio Chama Recreation Area, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Sandy woodlands Grows in a delicate airy pattern to 12" with sparse, narrow leaves. The tiny flowers are white with a pink stripe. Flora of North America reference.
	Annual Buckwheat Eriogonum annuum Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Umbrella Plant Photo taken on: July 27, 2012 Location: Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Dry, sandy areas, roadsides Grows over 3ft tall in an open airy pattern with silvery, fuzzy stems and leaves. Leaves are mainly on the lower part of the stem. Flowers are tiny and can be pinkish. Flora of North America reference.
	Pretty Buckwheat Eriogonum bicolor Family:Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Photo taken on: May 10, 2010 Location: Little Wildhorse Canyon, UT Life Zones: Foothills Habitat: Dry rocky areas, canyons Low growing in a dense mat of lance-shaped grayish leaves. Tiny flowers are white tinged with red. Flora of North America reference.
	Slenderleaf Buckwheat Eriogonum leptophyllum Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Photo taken on: August 19, 2013 Location: FS RD 151, Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Sagebrush, pinyon-juniper communities Grows in a rounded form to 2 feet with narrow, green leaves on the stems. The edges of the leaves are tightly curled back. Flowers grow in compact clusters with long stamens protruding. Flora of North America reference.
	Spreading Buckwheat Eriogonum effusum Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Prairie Baby's Breath Photo taken on: September 18, 2014 Location: Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Dry areas, hillsides Grows to 12" in a bushy form with spreading wiry reddish stems. Flowers are tiny and grow in flat-topped clusters. Flora of North America reference.
	Crispleaf Buckwheat Eriogonum corymbosum var. velutinum Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Velvety Wild Buckwheat, Buckwheat Brush Photo taken on: September 18, 2014 Location: Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Sandy, gravelly areas, hillsides A perennial shrub growing to 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide with densely, whitish, woolly leaves. Leaves are oblong to oval-shaped with crinkly, "crisped", edges and feel velvety. Tiny white to cream flowers grow in rounded clusters and age to pink or red.. Flora of North America reference.
	Fremont's Rimrock Buckwheat Eriogonum corymbosum var. orbiculatum Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Rimrock Wild Buckwheat, Orbicular-leaf Wild Buckwheat Photo taken on: October 7, 2021 Location: Arches NP, UT Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Rocky areas, washes, slopes A perennial shrub growing in a rounded shape from a few inches to over 4 feet tall and wide. Leaves are oval-shaped to round. Tiny, bright white flowers grow in compact rounded clusters turning reddish with age. Flora of North America reference.
	Nodding Buckwheat Eriogonum cernuum Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) AKA: Photo taken on: August 4, 2015 Location: Echo Amphitheatre, Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Sandy soils, grasslands, woodlands Grows 10" to 20" high with delicate, airy branches. Leaves are roundish and low on the stem, not basal. The tiny flowers hang from slender stems and are white to pinkish turning red with age. Flora of North America reference.

Buckwheat blossoms are an excellent source of nectar for pollinators and blooming can continue well into the autumn.

White/Cream Round Clusters