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Eriogonum grande var. rubescens (San Miguel Island Buckwheat) - An evergreen small shrub that grows to 1 foot tall with the branches lying prostrate and spreading to 3 feet wide. It has small spoon-shaped leaves that are a gray green on the upper surface and wooly below and in late spring through fall appear the inch wide pom pompon clusters of vivid pink flowers that are held above the foliage on a 2-foot-tall branching inflorescence.
Plant in full sun in sandy or even heavier clay soil with little to no irrigation. Hardy to 15 ° F. This great looking and durable buckwheat is both beautiful and its pollen and seed also attracts butterflies (Gray Hairstreak, Acmon Blue) and birds.
Eriogonum grande var. rubescens is native to San Miguel, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa islands in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands chain. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'erion' meaning "wool" and 'gonu' meaning a "joint" or a "knee", which some interpret to be in reference to the hairy joints of some of the species of the genus. The specific epithet is from the Latin word 'grandis' meaning "large", "grand" or "showy", and in this case it was likely for the showy flowers. The varietal name means "becoming red, again in reference to the pinkish red flowers. We also grow a dark red flowering form that we list as Eriogonum grande var. rubescens 'Red Ranger'.
This information about Eriogonum grande var. rubescens displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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