Eriogonum fasciculatum - California Buckwheat

Description

This buckwheat grows throughout the state of California but is most common down South.  North of the Bay Area its distribution starts to peter out, but you can find it growing abundantly in every county here.  It's one of the plants you can really count on to handle heat and drought with ease.  Foliage is fine textured, with long thin leaves that are sort of "rosemary-esque."  The inflorescence is a gorgeous cluster of tiny white-blush pink flowers.  The bloom time is extremely long- half the year starting in April and continuing through September.  Once blooms pass they fade into a deep rust color which is quite beautiful in its own right.  Bees and butterflies go nuts for this and it's an important larval food source for blues, hairstreaks, and the brown elfin butterfly.  Deer... not interested.  Grows to about 1' high- maybe a little taller in some cases and about 3' wide.  Cut back at the end of fall when it's done blooming for a refresh.