Eriogonum maculatum

Spotted wild buckwheat, Spotted Wild Buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: annual · Native

Spotted wild buckwheat is a native annual herb found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Range, Great Basin, and Desert regions in sandy to gravelly habitats at elevations of 100 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to November, this plant produces white to yellow or pink flowers with distinctive rose-purple spots, creating delicate clusters across its branches. Growing 10 to 20 centimeters tall with slender, thread-like stems covered in soft tomentose (woolly) hair, it has a spreading, open growth habit. Its leaves are primarily basal and stem-based, with soft, woolly blades 0.5 to 3 centimeters long and 0.3 to 1.5 centimeters wide, creating a soft, textured appearance. The small flowers, measuring 1 to 2.5 millimeters long, are nestled in tiny glandular-hairy involucres, giving this delicate annual a subtle, intricate beauty.

Habitat: Common. Sand to gravel

Bloom period: Apr-Nov

Elevation: 100-2500 m

Bioregions: s SN, TR, GB, D

California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, Imperial, Lassen, Los Angeles, Mono, San Diego, Ventura, Siskiyou, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Kings, Santa Barbara, Orange

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.