Cliff buckwheat

Eriogonum parvifolium

Description

Cliff buckwheat is a small evergreen shrub growing to 2 ft. tall and 3 ft. wide. It naturally occurs along the coastal buffs and foothills in sunny exposures in the sage scrub and chaparral plant communities. During early spring, this species produces an intensive display of light pink flowers that cover the plant in a highly attractive manner. These flowers mature to various shades of brown with longer days and with more sun and heat of spring and summer that results in depleted soil moisture.

This species offers great usefulness on slopes, in native gardens, for birds and butterflies. It provides a long season of flower and seed head interest and brings attention to a group of plants that is often overlooked. It grows well in full sun, with good drainage and low amounts of supplemental water during the summer in all parts of the Inland Empire.

Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Mounding, Compact
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Pale green
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Sand, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Heat, Drought, Aridity, All day sun
Function: Wildlife value, Slopes, Rock gardens, Attracts butterflies, Raised planters, Small spaces, Hummingbird plant, Grouped, Flowering accent plant, Container plant, California native, Borders, Banks
Height: 2 ft.
Width: 3 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

To control size, cut back as much of the new-ish growth as desired while not in flower (April-ish). Do not prune in late spring as you will remove forming buds which will form this season’s blooms. After flowering, leave spent flowers to dry into red / brown clusters. This is part of the desired look of native buckwheats. The seeds develop into valuable wildlife food and help shade the plant in the summer heat (1). “Deadheading” buckwheats would be tedious and time consuming and would take away much of what there is to love about this plant. Keep things easy and don’t worry about it (S). If desired, remove dried seed heads beginning in mid-September and into the fall (1). Older plants that look like they need refreshing can be cut back hard into older wood in November. Expect new growth to emerge within a few weeks (1) References