Eriogonum umbellatum var. ahartii

Ahart's buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Ahart's buckwheat is a rare California native shrub ranked 1B.2 by CNPS, found in northern Sierra Nevada foothills near Paradise and Lumpkin ridges in Butte County, growing on serpentine landscapes at elevations of 400 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces vibrant yellow flowers in compact umbellate clusters with delicate involucre tubes. Growing 3 to 8 decimeters tall with a spreading diameter of 5 to 13 decimeters, it has generally tomentose stems that create a distinctive woolly appearance. Its leaves are rusty-woolly underneath, measuring 1 to 2.5 centimeters long and 0.7 to 1.5 centimeters wide, with varying surface textures from hairy to glabrous. Its intricate inflorescence features main branches with multiple orders, creating a complex and textured botanical structure.

Habitat: Serpentine

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: 400-1000 m

Bioregions: n SNF (near Paradise, Lumpkin ridges, Butte Co.).

California counties: Butte, Sierra, Yuba, Plumas

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