Coastal buckwheat is a woody shrub native to coastal California from Monterey to San Diego. It grows 1-3 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide, with small, rolled leaves that are drought-deciduous. Throughout the year but especially in summer, it produces showy pink-cream colored flowers in dense balls and red-brown fruits. As a groundcover or shrub, it is well-suited for erosion control and providing habitat and food for butterflies like the El Segundo Blue. It is drought tolerant once established and requires full sun, well-drained soil, and little to no summer water.

1. Coast (Dune/Sea-cliff) Buckwheat – Eriogonum parvifolium
(air-ee-OG-oh-num par-vi-FOE-lee-um)
Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Native to: California coast from Monterey to San Diego; Coastal strand/prairie, back-dunes, Coastal Sage
Scrub, Chaparral and southern oak woodlands.
Growth characteristics: woody shrub mature height: 1-3 ft. mature width: 2-4 ft.
Low, spreading perennial shrub with loose, slender, bending branches. Leaves are small, rolled with
water deprivation. Loses leaves in drought (drought-deciduous).
Blooms/fruits: blooms throughout year, but summer is main bloom period. Showy flowers are small,
pink-crème, in dense balls at top of plant. Red-brown fruits remain on plants and are showy.
Uses in the garden: As tall groundcover or shrub. Particularly good on hillsides, seaside conditions. Good
for erosion control. Key habitat plant for local butterflies, including El Segudo Blue. Showy. Use with
Ashyleaf Buckwheat in coastal gardens, sandy soils.
Sensible substitute for: non-native buckwheats; other medium-sized shrubs
Attracts: very important local butterfly plant (larval food – El Segundo Blue butterfly) . All parts of plant
are used by small animals. Birds eat seeds.
Requirements:
Element Requirement
Sun Full sun to full shade
Soil Well-drained soils best – can tolerate clays with little summer water; any pH is fine
Water Very drought tolerant once established. No/little summer water needed, but can
give occasional water to retain leaves.
Fertilizer None needed
Other Tolerates salty & alkali soils, seaside conditions
Management: Little needed. Prune to shape and remove dead branches. Can remove old seed heads or
retain for birds. Will reseed on bare ground. Cut back if raggedy
Propagation: from seed: collect ripe (tan) seed in late summer. Plant fresh seed in fall in prepared
beds or in fall/spring in pots. Fairly easy. by cuttings: semi-softwood with heel in late summer/early fall
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1-3, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 24, 25 11/29/10
© Project SOUND

2. Eriogonum parvifolium
Coastal Buckwheat