Plant · GBIF taxon 2889433
California Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatumAlso known as Flat-topped Buckwheat, Chaparral Buckwheat, Eastern Mojave Buckwheat
California buckwheat dominates dry hillsides and chaparral across the Southwest, anchoring fragile soils with deep roots. Dense heads of white-to-pink blossoms bloom profusely through summer before aging into a striking rusty bronze that persists into winter. Countless native bees, butterflies, and predatory insects rely on its abundant nectar during the hottest months of the year.
Drought-TolerantNative ShrubAttracts Pollinators
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthetic
Predators
- Mule Deer
- Desert Cottontail
- Brush Rabbit
ThreatsUrban development, invasive grasses, altered fire regimes
HabitatsChaparral, coastal sage scrub, dry slopes, desert washes
Life span15–30 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderCaryophyllales
- FamilyPolygonaceae
- GenusEriogonum
- SpeciesEriogonum fasciculatum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Summer Wildlife Spotting: Look closely at summer flower heads to observe dozens of native solitary bee species and hairstreak butterflies.
- Garden Landscaping: Plant in full sun with well-draining soil to support local pollinators while requiring minimal irrigation once established.
Image unavailableHost Plant Consumer 
Frequent Companion No machine-readable author provided. Curtis Clark assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion (c) NatureShutterbug, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Pollinator Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · cc-by
Close Relative Walter Siegmund (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.