Eriogonum davidsonii
Davidson's wild buckwheat
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eriogonum davidsonii (Davidson's wild buckwheat) is a native California herb in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by appressed involucres and lack of peduncles help distinguish from similar species.
Davidson's wild buckwheat is a California native annual found in southwestern California, southeastern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Desert regions in sandy habitats at elevations of 900 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces white to pink or red flowers in small, glabrous involucres 3 to 4 millimeters wide. Growing 1 to 5 decimeters tall with glabrous stems 0.5 to 1.5 decimeters long, it forms a delicate, spreading habit. Its basal leaves are approximately round, 1 to 2 centimeters long, with woolly undersides and sparsely hairy upper surfaces. The fruit is small, measuring 2 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 122 sympatric species; appressed involucres and lack of peduncles help distinguish from similar species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Sand
Elevation: (400)900-2600 m
California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Tulare, San Diego, Inyo, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Imperial, San Luis Obispo, Mono, San Benito
Outside California: to northern Arizona, southwestern Utah, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Eriogonum davidsonii blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Adenostoma: Eriogonum has flowers in cup-like involucres; Adenostoma has tiny white rose-family flowers in spikes.; vs Salvia: Eriogonum has six similar perianth parts; Salvia has two-lipped tubular flowers.; vs Fagopyrum: Eriogonum has flowers in involucred clusters; Fagopyrum has loose branching sprays without involucres.; vs Artemisia: Eriogonum has cup-surrounded flower clusters; Artemisia has tiny inconspicuous heads in drooping sprays.; vs Chorizanthe: Eriogonum has multiple flowers per involucre; Chorizanthe has one flower per involucre with spiny teeth.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eriogonum davidsonii native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum davidsonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriogonum davidsonii bloom?
Eriogonum davidsonii blooms May-Sep.
Where in California does Eriogonum davidsonii grow?
Eriogonum davidsonii occurs in Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Tulare, San Diego, Inyo and other counties, at elevations of (400)900-2600 m.
What plant family does Eriogonum davidsonii belong to?
Eriogonum davidsonii is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
What habitat does Eriogonum davidsonii grow in?
Eriogonum davidsonii grows in Common. Sand.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriogonum deflexum — Skeleton weed
- Eriogonum deflexum var. baratum — Tall skeleton weed
- Eriogonum deflexum var. deflexum — Flat-topped skeleton weed
- Eriogonum deflexum var. nevadense — Nevada skeleton weed
- Eriogonum deserticola — Colorado desert wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum diclinum — Jaynes canyon buckwheat
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.