Continuing our focus on select species of Eriogonum (wild buckwheat), this week's discussion features California buckwheat (E. fasciculatum).

First, here is a quick review of characteristics common to all of California's wild buckwheats. They are hardy colonizers of tough soils and dry ecosystems, such as coastal scrub and chaparral. They can live at the edges of deserts and up to high elevation tree lines. Their blossoms are important to pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, providing them with flowering food long after other natives have gone dormant. Buckwheat flowers have tall, slim, delicate anthers that seem to float above the flower mass, creating their signature lacy or frilly look. Because they hybridize indiscriminately, at last count there were over 250 species to explore and enjoy.

Species Focus - California Buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum, best known as California buckwheat and sometimes called eastern Mojave buckwheat or flat-topped buckwheat, is found primarily on dry slopes and canyon washes in the American West, including Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, in addition to California and reaching as far as Mexico's northwest.  In California it is the most widespread of the shrubby buckwheat species, found in abundance in the southern half of our state.  It is less common in the Central Valley and northern reaches, although it has proven to be a successful a landscape plant in Butte County. Its adaptation to our Mediterranean climate allows it to survive on as little as seven inches of rain annually.

This buckwheat species is evergreen and blooms from May through October.  It can grow to nine feet high and six feet wide (almost as big as its largest family member, the giant buckwheat), but usually reaches around four feet in height and width. E. fasciculatum is a very pretty plant when flowering – its many small, frilly white or pink flower clusters are held aloft on flexible, slender stems above rafts of narrow green leaves. The blossoms turn rusty or burnt orange in color as they dry late in the season, adding muted fall colors to the landscape. Leaves are fuzzy on the underside, and either smooth or fuzzy on top.

According to California Native Plants for the Garden (an excellent resource for gardeners looking to shift from traditional thirsty landscaping to a yard that conserves water and sustains pollinators), the hairs on E. fasciculatum's leaves contribute to its ability to withstand the dry and harsh conditions of the ecosystems it inhabits. Hairy leaves provide insulation from heat and protection from direct sunlight as well as a boundary air layer that reduces water loss.  

Its genus name, fasciculatum, comes from the Latin word meaning “bundles,” used in botany to refer to the growth habit of plant leaves. It shares this genus name with many other plant species.

California buckwheat makes excellent honey, and the plant is billed as the most important native source of honey in the state. (Honey made from yellow star thistle may be just as delicious, but that plant is an aggressive and invasive intruder!)

Native American peoples in the west and southwest used different parts of the California buckwheat for nutrition and medicine. The Cahuilla tribe of what is now the greater Palm Springs area used this plant in many ways:  they treat headaches and stomach pains with tea made from its leaves; treated colds and sore throats with tea made by steeping its roots; and applied poultices made from pounded roots to wounds. Cahuilla peoples also treated heart problems with tea from the dried flowers and dried roots of E. fasciculatum. Modern science has verified that a chemical compound common to several plant species including Eriogonum can be beneficial to hearts (USDA Plant Profile).

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the US Department of Agriculture, identifies and experiments with natives and other plants for their conservation value -  primarily their ability to protect soils from erosion, revegetate burn scars, and provide habitat and sustenance to wildlife as an aid in controlling agricultural pests. Their experiments with California buckwheat show that it has superior value in all three of these categories. The USDA Plant Profile for E. fasciculatum classifies its performance as a conservation plant on critical areas and problem soils as “excellent.” It receives another “excellent” mark for providing “nectar sources for beneficial insects when planted next to crops as part of an (IPM) Integrated Pest Management program.” They recommend the use of its seeds in seed mixes introduced to burn scars for revegetation. Finally, California buckwheat gets USDA bonus points because it is “ideal for environmental enhancement uses” (government-speak for “beautiful in the landscape”).

If you plant E.fasciculatum in your yard, be sure to locate it away from regular irrigation sources and in soil that drains well. It will be happy if you give it problem soil (rocky, alkaline, etc.). Make sure it has room to expand or even take over, because it can become invasive. It is an attractive and valuable addition to any drought resistant, native pollinator garden.

A number of buckwheat species, including a large lovely California buckwheat, are thriving in the Butte County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch (located just south of Chico on the Midway). At this time of year, they are abuzz with bees, and visited often by butterflies. Due to our current safety measures, no human visitors are allowed, but we look forward to seeing you there in the future, so you can appreciate the fascinating buckwheat family and our gardens in general.

For more information on E. fasciculatum, see the following sources:

Calflora

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Database

Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart O'Brien, California Native Plants for the Garden (Cachuma Press, 2005).

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us Hotline webpage.

An astounding number of species populate the wild buckwheat genus Eriogonum - over 250, according to the CALFLORA website. And, due to their propensity to hybridize, active speciation continues as we speak. There are species for almost every letter of the alphabet, from A (E. abertianum) to Z (E. zionis). This article will discuss characteristics common to all of the wild buckwheats, and then focus on a landscape beauty, E. giganteum, known familiarly as St. Catherine's Lace or giant buckwheat.

But first, let's address a common question: do the wild buckwheats native to North America supply the gluten-free buckwheat flour used in pancakes and other baked goods? The answer is no.  Although young stems and leaves from our wild buckwheats were eaten by Native Americans, the buckwheat flour we bake with today is a product of the cultivated European common buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum. Both genera are in the same family, Polygonaceae. To further complicate matters, another plant in that family, Fallopia convolvulus or black-bindweed, is also called wild buckwheat. This is where taxonomic nomenclature is so very helpful in plant identification, if not always user friendly.

And the last bit of fun with words involves etymology.  The Latin genus name Eriogonum was bestowed by French botanist and explorer André Michaux, who traveled to the United States in 1785 to find plants that could be taken back to France for use in carpentry, medicine, and agriculture. During his botanical explorations in the Southeastern US, he came upon a wooly plant with sharply bent stems and christened it Eriogonum tomentosum (common name dogtongue wild buckwheat).  Eriogonum translates from the Greek as “wooly knees” (erion = wool and gona = knee or joint).; tomentosum translates from the Latin as densely matted or hairy, a descriptor originally used for plants that were used to stuff mattresses or pillows.

Wild buckwheats have mastered the art of thriving in the multiple challenging environments found in California. In a 2013 article for Pacific Horticulture, local garden guru Jennifer Jewell notes that these hardy dryland natives “thrive in exposed locations on slim soils” and “are at their best in lean, well-draining soil and full sun.” She quotes international buckwheat expert Dr. James Reveal, who marvels at this plant's ability to inhabit any ecological habitat, from “the seashore to the highest mountains in the United States.” He adds that, “They are among the last plants seen atop the Sierra Nevada and on the ‘outskirts' of Badwater in Death Valley.”

Not content to just colonize tough niches in our state, wild buckwheats provide crucial late summer food for pollinators.  They continue to flower after other natives have become dormant to protect themselves from drought and heat. Jewell observes that buckwheats “reliably attract a whole symphony of pollinators including native bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, beetles, and birds.”

Species Focus - Eriogonum giganteum

St. Catherine's Lace is one of the many buckwheat species that provide food to a wide variety of pollinators; it is also a beautiful landscape plant, especially for larger spaces. Its species name, giganteum, reveals its claim to fame; this is the largest of all the wild buckwheats, with the ability to grow up to ten feet high and wide. It prefers fast-draining rocky soil but will tolerate heavier clay soils if seldom watered and can also handle alkaline conditions. Although this species is native to California's Channel Islands, it easily adapts to summer temperatures in the Valley, and will withstand winter lows of 15 to 25 degrees F.

Depending on conditions, St. Catherine's lace can flower from May through August (one source claims it can bloom until December!). The bloom consists of large, dense, flat clusters made up of many small white or pinkish flowers which turn reddish-brown later in the season. The abundant flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including native bees, pollinator flies, wasps, and several species of butterflies. St. Catherine's Lace is what is known as a “honey plant” which means that honeybees collect its nectar for making honey. Finches and other migratory birds feast on its seeds in the fall. And large mature plants offer sheltering habitat to birds and lizards.

The leathery, woolly, oval-shaped leaves are large relative to other wild buckwheat species and range from a grayish green to silver. Occasional summer water will keep this buckwheat evergreen, but in the wild, plants will drop a portion of their leaves as a drought survival strategy.

Endemic to the Channel Islands of Southern California, St. Catherine's Lace naturally populates Coastal sage and chaparral ecoregions. Three distinct species have developed on three of the eight Channel Islands: Santa Barbara Island buckwheat (var. compactum); San Clemente Island buckwheat (var. formosum); and Santa Catalina Island buckwheat (var. giganteum).

As an ornamental landscape plant, it is at its best in native plant, drought tolerant, and wildlife gardens, and when a natural garden design is desired. Its size, form, and texture make it a good choice for background planting, or to fill and soften a bare corner in the yard. The UC Davis Arboretum classifies E. giganteum as one of its "All-Stars," a testament to this plant's aesthetic value and endurance in our hot, dry landscape, and its service to native pollinators and other wildlife.

Each of the 256species in the genus Eriogonum offers its own version of habitat value and native beauty. Visit the CALFLORA website to view detailed photos of each of the wild buckwheats and decide which is your favorite.

For more information:

Jennifer Jewell, “Beneficial Buckwheats,” Pacific Horticulture Newsletter, April 2013

Mother Nature's Backyard blog

CALFLORA Species List

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us Hotline webpage.

California is host to almost 7000 species of native plants, more than any other state. About 40% of those species are found only in California. In fact, California is more species-rich than most other places on Earth. Native plants are those that grow in the wild, have evolved in what is now California and were present here prior to contact by Europeans. As you drive down the highway, however, most of the roadside plants you see are non-native -- they were brought here either accidentally or on purpose from elsewhere. There are more than 1000 species of non-native plants present in California. Many of these are invasive and can out-compete natives where the natural habitat has been disturbed, as is the case along roadsides. The California Academy of Sciences estimates that 75% of the original habitat for native plants has been lost to non-native plants due to human activity. Imagine Table Mountain without its spring show of wildflowers, or valley grasslands devoid of California poppies!

In 1965 a group of nature lovers, gardeners, and professional botanists banded together in the East Bay to help save the native plant botanic garden in Berkeley's Tilden Park. After their success in that endeavor, they decided to expand their focus statewide to form the California Native Plant Society, a non-profit organization which works to preserve and celebrate California's native flora. Biologist Carol Witham describes the Society as “both a native plant appreciation club and a science-based conservation organization.”  Some early members were photographer Ansel Adams, Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, and former governor and Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren.

The Society's current efforts focus primarily on science, education, conservation, and horticulture.  For example, CNPS created The Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants, an online database which provides information about the ecology and life history of the state's rare, threatened, and endangered plants, along with assessments of their current conservation status. The Inventory helps guide efforts in rare plant education, protection, conservation planning, and land acquisition management.

Every three years CNPS hosts a statewide conference with workshops, field trips, and scientific and general presentations, providing botanists around the state an opportunity to exchange ideas with one another and with amateur plant enthusiasts. This is the largest conference in California devoted to native plants.

CNPS produces many statewide publications, including Artemisia, a quarterly journal with a scientific perspective on native plant topics. The CNPS Fire Recovery Guide, published in 2019, has been widely distributed to victims of the Camp Fire and other recent fires in Butte County and is also available to download for free at the CNPS website.

CNPS has also created an online database containing horticultural information about specific native plants.  Called Calscape, the database can be used to find suitable native plants for your garden based on location and desired plant characteristics. Another useful Calscape feature is a garden planner which generates a suggested plant list and sample garden designs based on answers to four simple questions. This feature is quite useful for people interested in gardening with native plants.

CNPS members affiliate with one of 35 local chapters. The Mount Lassen Chapter covers Butte, Glenn, Tehama, and Plumas Counties. Rob Schlising, retired CSU Chico biology professor, described the formation of the chapter: “Over 75 people assembled at a meeting in Chico on the rainy evening of 4 November 1977 to initiate a new chapter of the California Native Plant Society. The group chose the name “Mount Lassen Chapter,” and I was elected the first chapter president. I provided an illustrated talk called ‘What is so special about our native plants?'”

Schlising says that during the very productive year of 1978 the chapter established the Pipevine newsletter for chapter members; organized 16 field trips to various sites of botanical interest; hosted numerous evening lectures by botanists about plants and their habitats; started a program of growing native plants for residential gardens; and held a native wildflower slide contest.

The chapter continues to have an active program which includes online presentations, field trips throughout the year, maintenance of the Alice Hecker Native Plant Garden at Chico Creek Nature Center, co-sponsorship with Altacal Audubon of the Water-Wise and Habitat-Friendly Garden Tour, and educational outreach at public events. The chapter also provides grant money for students to attend the statewide conference. Information about upcoming events is available on the chapter website. The next online presentation will be a talk about Calscape by Jessica Woodard, Calscape Product Manager, on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 7pm.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Hotline webpage.

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) is a common sight throughout our hot dry Butte County summers.  It is also considered to be one of the world's most noxious perennial weeds. Johnsongrass forms dense showy bunches of vegetation three to six feet tall along pathways, in and around orchards and gardens, in open fields, and near waterways. In California, Johnsongrass is found in the Central Valley, Cascade Range foothills, Western California, and the Sierra Nevada foothills to about 2600 feet.  Under certain conditions, its leaves produce a toxic acid which is poisonous to livestock.

This non-native weed arrived in Texas in the 1830s and by the late 19^th century was recognized as a problem in the North Valley and throughout California's agricultural fields. 

Johnsongrass was even pointed to as a factor in the downfall of the world's largest vineyard at the time, Leland Stanford's 3,575 acres of grapes at Vina in Tehama County.  When the vineyard closed in 1916, Prohibitionists argued that its demise was evidence that wine and brandy production could not be profitable in California, and therefore Prohibition would not adversely affect the state economy.  But the business manager of the Stanford University Board of Trustees insisted that the vineyard had been profitable until Johnsongrass took over:  “it was all through the vineyard. It became apparent that it could not be eliminated as long as the vines were left in place, and that, in order to get rid of the Johnson grass, it would be necessary to take the vines up and make a fight against it" (The Wine and Spirit Bulletin, v.30, 1916, p. 36).  While the Stanford vineyard operation suffered other setbacks at the same time, Johnsongrass clearly served as a worthy scapegoat that farmers and gardeners could relate to.
(Stanford's ranch has currently been revitalized by the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux in Vina.)

If you are a gardener contemplating a battle with Johnsongrass, know that it can be a relatively difficult fight if the weed has become well established, but that fight can be won. Digging the weed up is best done with younger, less established plants. You'll want the soil to be wet when you do this; the grass puts out networks of underground rhizomes which become long and brittle.  Uprooting the grass in wet soil makes the brittle runners less likely to break away. When pieces of rhizomes break off and remain underground they will resprout. Mowing and tilling can be effective if repeated every two to four weeks. While these efforts might seem futile at first (you may despair when fresh growth appears from those underground runner fragments), over time repeated weeding and tilling will take a toll on the grass's energy reserves and you will gradually win the battle.

For more information on Johnsongrass see Biology and Management of Johnsongrass by UC ANR. Information here on Stanford's vineyard operation is indebted to Stephen Maganini, “Wines, spirits, history, reflection blend at Vina Monastery Sacramento Bee, September 9, 2016).

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.