Eriogonums lure butterflies

There have been many news stories about the plight of pollinators recently, and though the disappearance of honey and native bees has captured a majority of the coverage, butterflies have also seen their food supplies dwindling.

One attractive and easy remedy for urban gardeners is California buckwheats. Eriogonums are compact subshrubs that vary in height from the mat-forming foot-high E. umbellatum to the larger species E. arborescens and E. giganteum, which can reach 5 to 6 feet in height and width.

One of my favorites is E. grande var. rubescens, known as red buckwheat. This evergreen native of the Channel Islands (off the coast of Santa Barbara) forms a dense, low-growing (to 1 foot) mat that will spread to cover an area of at least 3 feet. It features delicate, spoon-shaped 1-inch leaves, grayish-green above and woolly white below. Plants begin flowering in June and continue late into the fall.

What makes this plant a must-visit for butterflies are the nectar-rich, rosy-pink clusters of flowers that float on tallish stems above the foliage. Las Pilitas Nursery notes that "Blues and Hairstreaks especially like buckwheats. The flowers, leaves and seeds are all used by many of the smaller mammals, and a good number of birds such as finches, juncos, larks, sparrows, towhees, quail and grouse."

Red buckwheat is an ideal plant for rock or dry gardens, where it can serve as an attractive high ground cover. It can also be used as a low border. Even in its nonflowering season, E. grande rubescens provides lovely, soft texture to any garden bed. Their flowers are also ideal for dried arrangements.

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