Flower profile

California buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) is a shrub in the Polygonaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–July across the U.S.

Native to California

California buckwheat is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

4states where USDA records it

54,070CA sightings*

56,608U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Eriogonum fasciculatum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names California buckwheat and flat-topped buckwheat. Characterized by small, white and pink flower clusters that give off a cottony effect, this species grows variably from a patchy mat to a wide shrub, with the flowers turning a rusty color after blooming.
From Wikipedia's article Eriogonum fasciculatum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Polygonaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 54,070 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #2 among the 178 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in April–July.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,750 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records California buckwheat in 4 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Marin, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Trinity, Tulare, Ventura.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives California buckwheat a high shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 8.5 and winter lows down to 7 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: medium
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 8.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: 7 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 140
Annual precipitation range: 10 to 18 inches
Minimum root depth: 10 inches
Salinity tolerance: High
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for ERFA2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 44 counties across 4 states; the most are in California (28), Arizona (10), Nevada (4).

Other Eriogonum on Bloomipedia (9): Sulfur buckwheat, Desert trumpet, Cushion buckwheat, Parsnipflower buckwheat, Redroot buckwheat, James' buckwheat, Alpine golden buckwheat, Annual buckwheat, Few-flower buckwheat.

More from the Polygonaceae family (21 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): American jumpseed, Low smartweed, Japanese knotweed, Mile-a-minute weed, Water smartweed, American bistort, Spotted lady's thumb, Devil's spineflower.

More California flowers

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–May

Toyon

Heteromeles arbutifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: June–August

Blue dicks

Dipterostemon capitatus

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ERFA2.
iNaturalist, Eriogonum fasciculatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Eriogonum fasciculatum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Eriogonum fasciculatum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Vasily Reinkymov via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.