Eriogonum ovalifolium
cushion buckwheat
Attracts PollinatorsAttracts ButterfliesDeer ResistantDrought TolerantContainer Friendly
Native to North America
Overview
Eriogonum ovalifolium, cushion buckwheat, is a low, mat-forming perennial of western North America, building a dense, ground-hugging cushion 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) tall and up to 12 inches (30 cm) or more wide. The small, oval to spoon-shaped leaves are 0.2-1 inch (5-25 mm) long and densely covered in white to grey woolly hairs, giving the whole mound a silvery look. In late spring and summer it sends up leafless stalks 1-5 inches (2.5-13 cm) high, each topped by a tight, rounded head of tiny flowers in cream, pale yellow, or pink that often deepen to rose as they age. The plant grows on dry, gravelly, and rocky ground from sagebrush flats to alpine ridges, on poor, fast-draining soils. E. ovalifolium withstands cold, wind, and drought but needs sharp drainage and full sun, and it rots in rich, moist, or shaded conditions. It is slow-growing and can be hard to establish away from its lean native soils.
Native Range
Native to western North America, across the Great Basin and adjacent ranges from British Columbia and Montana south to California, Nevada, and Colorado. It grows on dry, gravelly, and rocky soils from sagebrush steppe to subalpine and alpine slopes.Suggested Uses
Grown in rock gardens, troughs, scree beds, and alpine collections where drainage is sharp and sun is full. Its silvery cushion suits crevices and gravel plantings. The summer flowers draw native bees and other small pollinators.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 6"
Width/Spread8" - 1'
Bloom Information
Rounded flower heads rise on bare stalks from late spring into summer, generally May to July, with timing later at higher elevations. The tiny flowers open cream, yellow, or pink and often age to rose or red. Dried heads can persist on the plant after seed set.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
cream, yellow, or pink aging to roseFoliage Description
silvery grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow in full sun on lean, gritty, sharply drained soil; sand, gravel, and rock gardens match its native ground. Water sparingly once established, as the cushion rots in rich, moist, or poorly drained soil. It needs no fertilizer and stays more compact in poor ground. Cold and wind are tolerated well, but winter wet is the main cause of failure, so a gritty mulch and raised, open sites help. Propagation is from seed sown fresh, which may need cold stratification to sprout. Plants are slow to bulk up and seldom need division.Pruning
Pruning is not required. Spent flower stalks can be trimmed off after seeding to tidy the cushion. Dead patches in the mat are cut away to keep growth healthy.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons