Native Plants

The first of a series:

Getting to know Native Plants

Conejo Buckwheat - Saffron Buckwheat
Eriogonum crocatum

This plant is one of the seventy-six species in the genus Eriogonum in California. I have chosen it as the first one to write about in our newsletter because you can see from its name that its distribution is in Ventura County. It is our very own native plant; it is rare, a perennial, and it grows on the rocky slopes of the Camarillo grade, in only a small part of the northern Santa Monica Mountains.

This is a small shrub, generally round to mounding in form. It will grow up to eighteen inches tall and two to three feet wide. The stems and broad inch-long leaves are covered in white hairs and the flowers are tight heads of sulphur yellow blossoms which turn to cinnamon brown as they age. It flowers from April to July. Because its natural habitat is a rocky slope a garden planting on a sunny bank which would provide good drainage is best, especially with some afternoon shade. A raised border or a rock garden will also be a good home, and this plant does have tolerance for our clay soils.

Buckwheats are among the most drought tolerant of native plants, with moderate watering needed until well established. Conejo Buckwheat does not have a dormant season.

Before the fires in Santa Barbara this year I saw several Conejo Buckwheat plants in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and you will also see it in both the Kids Adventure Garden and the main area of the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden. It is propagated from seed, and that is being done currently at the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden with a view to having it available for their weekly Sunday sales in the future, maybe by next year. Theodore Payne Native Plant Nursery in Sun Valley tells me that they carry it in their inventory, but it is best to check the inventory online before purchase.

This plant is great for butterflies in your backyard habitat.

Margaret Strachan
CGCI Chairman for Backyard Habitat.

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