Eriogonum gracillimum
Rose-and-white wild buckwheat
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eriogonum gracillimum (Rose-and-white wild buckwheat) is a native California herb in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by hair-like spreading peduncles and glandular flowers.
Rose-and-white wild buckwheat is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Mojave Desert in clay to gravel habitats at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering throughout the year, this plant produces white to rose-colored flowers in delicate, spreading clusters with hair-like branches. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with tomentose stems that are slender and branching, it forms a delicate, open structure. Its basal leaves are 2 to 4 centimeters long, slightly woolly underneath, with margins rolled slightly inward, creating a distinctive textural appearance. The tiny involucres are glandular-hairy and measure about 2 millimeters wide, contributing to the plant's intricate botanical design.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 158 sympatric species; key features are hair-like spreading peduncles and glandular flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Clay to gravel
Elevation: < 1100 m
California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Inyo, Monterey, Kings, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Benito, Merced, San Joaquin, Tulare, Alameda
Bloom period
Eriogonum gracillimum blooms All year.
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 gracillimum native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum gracillimum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriogonum gracillimum bloom?
Eriogonum gracillimum blooms All year.
Where in California does Eriogonum gracillimum grow?
Eriogonum gracillimum occurs in Kern, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Inyo, Monterey, Kings and other counties, at elevations of < 1100 m.
What plant family does Eriogonum gracillimum belong to?
Eriogonum gracillimum is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
What habitat does Eriogonum gracillimum grow in?
Eriogonum gracillimum grows in Common. Clay to gravel.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriogonum grande — Island buckwheat
- Eriogonum grande var. grande — Island buckwheat
- Eriogonum grande var. rubescens — Red-flowered buckwheat
- Eriogonum grande var. timorum — San nicolas island buckwheat
- Eriogonum heermannii — Heerman buckwheat
- Eriogonum heermannii var. argense — Heermann's rough wild 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.