Flower profile
Parsnipflower buckwheat
Eriogonum heracleoides
Parsnipflower buckwheat is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Idaho it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Idaho
Quick look
Eriogonum heracleoides is a plant of western North America that has many flowering clusters which are usually cream colored, or off-white. It can usually be found in rocky areas, such as sagebrush deserts and Ponderosa pine forests. Parsnipflower buckwheat is in the genus Eriogonum and the family Polygonaceae, which is a family of plants known as the "knotweed family".
- 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 9 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Idaho. NatureServe
- In Idaho, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 656 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #41 among the 109 flowers on our Idaho list. iNaturalist
Parsnipflower buckwheat gift ideas
Handmade parsnipflower 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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Parsnipflower buckwheat art print
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Parsnipflower buckwheat greeting card
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Parsnipflower buckwheat mug
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Parsnipflower buckwheat earrings
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Parsnipflower buckwheat embroidery pattern
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Parsnipflower buckwheat sticker
When does it bloom?
In Idaho, most flowering sightings come in June–August.
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
- Idaho
- No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
- 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?
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.
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 parsnipflower buckwheat in 9 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonneville, Boundary, Butte, Camas, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Power, Shoshone, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley, Washington.
More Idaho flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ERHE2.
- iNaturalist, Eriogonum heracleoides: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Eriogonum heracleoides (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Eriogonum heracleoides (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Zach Earl via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.