Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

Red Buckwheat, Eriogonum grande var. rubescens, originates from the Channel Islands off the coast of California, and has red or pink flowers that bloom from June-October. For a similar look but with white flowers see Eriogonum latifolium. Give Red buckwheat full sun near coast, and part shade inland. Water requirements are low. (It doesn't usually need water after the first summer.) One of the showiest of the smaller perennial buckwheats. Does fine in the interior, and is a very attractive low sub-shrub. Small plants and young plants are not cold-hardy below 20 F.; container stock froze at 20 F., but plants in the ground were hardy to 15 F. Deer like to browse (rip from the ground and walk on), and this rare plant prefers clay soil. The buckwheats are very important butterfly plants and one of the pillars of their plant communities. The flowers, leaves and seeds are all used by many of the smaller mammals, and a good number of birds such as finches, juncos, larks, sparrows, towhees, quail, and grouse. Click here for more about California Buckwheats