Eriogonum nudum
A highly variable western North American perennial in the buckwheat family, with tall leafless flowering stalks topped by small spherical clusters, growing in gravelly or sandy habitats from sea level to high elevations, and featuring a long summer bloom that feeds pollinators.
Common Names
Naked Buckwheat, Nude Buckwheat, Barestem Buckwheat, Coast Buckwheat, Seaside Buckwheat, Naked Wild Buckwheat
Summary
Native to western North America, with California-centered distribution, Naked buckwheat is a xeric, rock-garden-friendly perennial. It grows as a basal rosette of green leaves from which tall, bare stems rise, bearing small clusters of white, yellow, or pink flowers on long stalks; bare stems give the plant its common name. It is pollinator-friendly, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, and serves as a host plant for the Metalmark butterfly, thriving in full sun with excellent drainage and tolerating drought once established.
It prefers sandy or gravelly, well-drained soils and is heat- and drought-tolerant, making it suitable for xeriscapes and mass plantings; can be propagated by seed or division; maintenance is minimal; used in native plantings and rock gardens to provide habitat value and nectar for pollinators; blooms in summer; deer resistant.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1-5 feet
Spread
4-7 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5b-10
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained sandy or gravelly soil
Soil pH
6.5
Bloom Color
White, pale pink, or yellow
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf, Semi-deciduous
Growth Rate
Moderate, slow in cool spring and vigorous in warm summer temperatures.
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators are attracted.
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Douglas ex Benth.
- Publication
- Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 413 (1836)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Caryophyllales
- Family
- Polygonaceae
- Genus
- Eriogonum
Inferior Taxa
Eriogonum nudum var. auriculatum Eriogonum nudum var. decurrens Eriogonum nudum var. deductum Eriogonum nudum var. indictum Eriogonum nudum var. oblongifolium Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum Eriogonum nudum var. scapigerum Eriogonum nudum var. westonii
Synonyms
Eriogonum arachnoideum Eriogonum auriculatum Eriogonum latifolium var. parvulum Eriogonum nudum var. perturbum Eriogonum oblanceolatum Eriogonum nudum var. nudum Eriogonum latifolium subsp. auriculatum Eriogonum latifolium subsp. nudum Eriogonum longulum