California Buckwheat

California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) has a quiet beauty in the fall. By this time of year, the small white and pink flower clusters of spring and summer have faded into warm shades of rust, copper, and brown. The dried blossoms remain on the plant, giving the shrub a textured, weathered look that fits perfectly with the changing colors of the season. Native to California’s dry hillsides and chaparral, California buckwheat is tough, drought tolerant, and an important source of food for bees, butterflies, and other wildlife. In autumn, its faded flowers may no longer be showy, but they have a character all their own.