Eriogonum kennedyi
Kennedy's buckwheat
(c) Adam J. Searcy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Eriogonum kennedyi (Kennedy's buckwheat) is a native California subshrub in the Polygonaceae family.
Kennedy's buckwheat is a California native perennial found in rocky, dry habitats at elevations ranging from low to moderate desert or mountain regions. Flowering from late spring to early summer, this plant produces delicate white to pink or rose-colored flowers in small, dense head-like clusters approximately 0.4 to 1 centimeter in diameter. Growing as a low, spreading mat with scape-like stems 15 to 45 centimeters tall, it forms a compact ground-hugging form with distinctive tomentose characteristics. Its small basal leaves are dense and woolly, measuring 2 to 10 millimeters long with margins occasionally rolled underneath, creating a compact and textured appearance. The plant's subtle color variations and mat-forming growth habit make it a distinctive low-growing perennial adapted to arid environments.
Habitat and range
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Tulare, Madera, Mono, Ventura, Kern, Inyo
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 kennedyi native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum kennedyi is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Eriogonum kennedyi grow?
Eriogonum kennedyi occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Tulare, Madera, Mono, Ventura, Kern, Inyo.
What plant family does Eriogonum kennedyi belong to?
Eriogonum kennedyi is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriogonum kennedyi var. alpigenum — Southern alpine buckwheat
- Eriogonum kennedyi var. austromontanum — Southern mountain buckwheat
- Eriogonum kennedyi var. kennedyi — Kennedy's wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum kennedyi var. pinicola — Kern buckwheat
- Eriogonum kennedyi var. purpusii — Purpus' wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum latens — Inyo 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.