8) Eriogonum (Wild Buckwheat)

I consider Eriogonum strictum var. anserinum one of the easyest for me to grow.
It's Found growing on gravely slopes, and exposed ridges through out the northern Great Basin in CA,NV,OR,WA,& ID.
It blooms early-late June. Flowers are light yellow, inforesence umbellate/cymose held 6”-8”
above the foliage.
The plants grow as low densely matted mounds, 2”-4” tall, 6”-8” across. The leaves are
silvery gray tomentose and elliptcal-ovate. The leaves are held in an erect or vertical
manner. Especially in their native dry habitat.

E. robustum is a rare western Nevada native it is found growing on eroding exposed slopes, composed of course unstable altered andesite. In the wild this species habitat is limited to these sights.
Blooms mid-late June. The flowers are creamy yellow, infloresence is umbellate held 3”-4”
above the foliage. The plants grow as tufted mounding mats 8”-10” tall and up to 8” across. The flowering stems are stout and grow erect. The leaves are grouped into rosettes. They are large ovate shaped. Densely white tomentos above and less so on the lower surface.

Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sphaerocephalum is found growing on exposed slopes, composed of course rocky mineral clays. This species seems to prefer the more stable deposits on the gentle slopes and terraces among rocky outcroppings.
Blooms mid June -early July. The flowers are yellow, infloresence is umbellate and held
3”-4” above the foliage.
The plants grow as erect, domed twiggy subshruds 6”-8” tall and 8”-10” across. The leaves are small

Eriogonum douglasii var. meridionale is a great mat for the garden. It forms a silvery gray cushion two inches tall and up to twelve inches across. The leaves are densly lanate on both surfaces. In early spring it is studded with one inch yellow pompoms suspended atop two-three inches slender scapes. In bud they display a blush of ocher red. When the flower heads are through blooming they change color to a deep rust and can hang around all summer before they shatter.

Yes it's another of the High elevation buckwheats. Eriogonum lobbii found locally in the Sierra Nevada Range. This one grows in the Northern Sierras of CA & NV. It continues on a path across Northern CA to the coastal mountain Ranges were it just crosses the southern border of OR.

Eriogonum rosense var. rosense this high elevation species forms ever expanding mats. This is a rhyzominous species, that expands slowly. It does make it easy to take cuttings. It can be found through the central Sierra Nevada Range growing at elevations from 7000'-10000'.

This Eriogonum is another of those high elevation gems. It's range runs along the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges from central California through to British Columbia.. In Nevada it makes it's way eastward just into the western counties of Utah. It is found in CA, NV, ID, OR, WA, UT, and BC.
This eriogonum is locally found at elevations of 8,000'-11,000' on decomposed granite, screes and fell fields. The flowers have a range of colors from white/cream to rose/red. It is mat forming with the flowers held from 0-3" above the foliage.

Eriogonum ovalifolium var. eximium is one of matforming the high elevation varieties. This variety is commonly known as the Slide Mountain Buckwheat or brown margin buck wheat. It is restricked to the Carson Range along the border of Nevada and California. I have found it growing at elevations of around 8500'-9600' on lose disintegrated granite screes. Mature mats are commonly eight-ten inches across and 1/2-1 inch tall. The flowers are always creamy white-white and set right on top of the foliage.

This variety of E. ovalifolium is on the endangered species list due to its very limited range. I am lucky that I live very near it's specific habitat. It grows on geothermally derived soils found just south of Reno at the Steamboat Hotsprings. It's total range encompasses about 150 acers on public and private land.
Here are links that give more information about this rare Eriogonum.
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/cpc_viewprofile.asp...

Eriogonum caespitosum is a low growing silver mat studded in the spring with yellow pom poms flushed with rosy hues. The mats are two inches tall and up too twelve inches across. The flowers stand from two inches too six inches above the mats, this seems to vary from plant to plant. I have two old mature plants that have been growing for about eight years now. One had some branch die back that left it with a ragged appearance. Thankfully it has filled in the bare spot and you wouldn't know it was injured.