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Reveal, James L.

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Eriogonum fasciculatum Benth.

Eastern Mojave Buckwheat, Eastern Mojave Wild Buckwheat, California Buckwheat, Flattop Buckwheat, Flat-top Buckwheat

Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: ERFA2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

This low-spreading shrub usually grows to 3 ft. high and 6 ft. wide. The decumbent stems are branched and leafy; the leaves being small, narrow & leathery. Flat-topped clusters of whitish or pinkish, slightly fragrant flowers occur at the branch tips.

This shrub is a favorite of bees and butterflies.

From the Image Gallery

12 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall, often shorter.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NV , UT
Native Distribution: C. & s. CA to UT, s. to Baja & AZ
Native Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes & canyons

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Dry, rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: Ssp. polifolium is the widest ranging of the many subspecies. Drought tolerant. Excellent sand dune binder and cliff hanger.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Valued honey plant.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Lupine Blue
(Plebejus lupini)

Larval Host

Learn more at BAMONA

Electra buckmoth
(Hemileuca electra)

Larval Host

Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Description: Propagation by seed is possible.
Seed Collection: The three-sided achene can be hand-stripped from the plant.
Seed Treatment: Seeds of this genus generally germinate without pretreatment but in such a large genus, a variety of germination responses can be expected.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Groundcover for erosion control
September 23, 2008
I live in southern california. What is the best groundcover to plant on a slope to prevent erosion?
view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Eriogonum fasciculatum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Eriogonum fasciculatum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Eriogonum fasciculatum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-09
Research By: TWC Staff

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