Eriogonum latifolium
Seaside wild buckwheat, Seaside Wild Buckwheat
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Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Eriogonum latifolium (Seaside wild buckwheat) is a native California subshrub in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by . Key features: coastal habitat below 80m, broad leaves, mat form.
Seaside wild buckwheat is a California native perennial found in the northern coastal and central coastal bioregions in sandy habitats at elevations below 80 meters. Flowering all year, this plant produces white to pink or rose-colored flowers in dense clusters up to 20 centimeters wide. Growing as a low-spreading subshrub or mat-forming herb 2 to 7 decimeters tall and up to 20 decimeters in diameter, it has tomentose stems that can occasionally appear glabrous. Its cauline leaves are broadly ovate, 2.5 to 5 centimeters long and 1.5 to 4 centimeters wide, typically covered in soft, felt-like tomentum. The fruit is a small glabrous achene approximately 3.5 to 4 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species. Key features: coastal habitat below 80m, broad leaves, mat form
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Sand
Elevation: < 80 m
California counties: Humboldt, Alameda, Sonoma, Mendocino, San Mateo, Marin, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Del Norte, Contra Costa, Kern, Plumas, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Siskiyou, Santa Clara, Tulare
Outside California: to Oregon
Bloom period
Eriogonum latifolium 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 latifolium native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum latifolium is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriogonum latifolium bloom?
Eriogonum latifolium blooms All year.
Where in California does Eriogonum latifolium grow?
Eriogonum latifolium occurs in Humboldt, Alameda, Sonoma, Mendocino, San Mateo, Marin, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco and other counties, at elevations of < 80 m.
What plant family does Eriogonum latifolium belong to?
Eriogonum latifolium is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
What habitat does Eriogonum latifolium grow in?
Eriogonum latifolium grows in Common. Sand.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriogonum libertini — Dubakella mountain buckwheat
- Eriogonum lobbii — Lobb's wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum luteolum — Golden buckwheat
- Eriogonum luteolum var. caninum — Tiburon buckwheat
- Eriogonum luteolum var. luteolum — Golden-carpet wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum luteolum var. pedunculatum — Mokelumne hill 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.