Bloomipedia
Few-flower buckwheat (Eriogonum pauciflorum)
Photo: Jo Roberts via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Few-flower buckwheat

Eriogonum pauciflorum

Native to North Dakota

Few-flower buckwheat is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

6states
59ND sightings*
490U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

Eriogonum pauciflorum is a common species of wild buckwheat on the Great Plains known by the common name few flowered buckwheat.

  • It belongs to the Polygonaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to North Dakota. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 59 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #102 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist

Few-flower buckwheat gift ideas

Handmade few-flower buckwheat gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Few-flower buckwheat art print

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    Few-flower buckwheat mug

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    Few-flower buckwheat earrings

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    Few-flower buckwheat embroidery pattern

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    Few-flower buckwheat sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (55 records)

There are only a handful of North Dakota flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 few-flower buckwheat in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Slope, Stark, Williams.

More North Dakota flowers

Water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia)

Water smartweed

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🌼 Blooms in ND: July–September
Alpine golden buckwheat (Eriogonum flavum)

Alpine golden buckwheat

Eriogonum flavum

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🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July
Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha)

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

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🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Sources