San Miguel Island Buckwheat, botanically known as Eriogonium grande rubescens, is native to the Channel Islands and Baja California.  It spreads across the ground and reaches about 18 inches high with glorious rosy "pom-pom" flower heads. Besides my Lantana hybrids, notably 'Confetti', the buckwheats are the only color of note in the garden these days.  The small little bursts of rosy pink are in stark contrast to the various dull grey-greens of the surrounding plants in the garden now at the end of summer. These hardy natives actually prefer clay soil and are said to be hardy down to 15 degrees.  Mine have been in the garden now since fall of last year, so they made it through the freeze last winter and have been blooming for months. I purchased them while on a field trip with Ken William's design class.  Our assignment was to identify a group of "new to us" plants that we would later place in a landscape design.  Buckwheat looked interesting from the information I found online so I thought it might work in my dry front garden. The cheerful color makes me smile every time I see it.  Can't do much better than that!