Eriogonum ursinum var. ursinum

Bear valley wild buckwheat, Bear Valley Wild Buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bear valley wild buckwheat is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, southern Cascade Range, and northern Sierra Nevada in sandy or gravelly habitats at elevations of 900 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces pale yellow flowers in delicate clusters 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters wide. Growing with sprawling stems up to 4 meters in diameter and reaching 40 centimeters tall, it develops a softly textured, somewhat sparse growth habit. Its leaves are small, measuring 0.8 to 1.4 centimeters long, with a woolly white underside and sparse upper surface. The compact plant forms a distinctive low, spreading mound in its rocky, open habitat.

Habitat: Sand or gravel

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: (500)900-2500 m

Bioregions: KR, s CaR, n SN.

California counties: Tehama, Placer, Sierra, Butte, Plumas, Nevada, Shasta, El Dorado

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