Seaside Buckwheat
Eriogonum latifolium
Family: Polygonaceae
What it is like
Eriogonum latifolium is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in flower from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
Sandy coastal flats, slopes, bluffs, and mesas, coastal scrub and grassland communities, from sea level to 80 metres, occasionally to 200 metres.
South-western N. America - California and Oregon.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Young stems - raw. Tender. Eaten by children in early summer.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 1
A decoction of the root, stalk and leaves has been used in the treatment of headaches, stomach aches, coughs and colds. A decoction of the roots has been used as a wash for sore eyes.
Analgesic: Relieves pain.
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a loose lean gritty well-drained soil in a very sunny position. Succeeds in dry soils. Tolerates exposed positions. Requires some protection from winter wet. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Established plants resent root disturbance.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a sandy compost in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed in early spring in a warm greenhouse. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in early spring. This has to be done with care because the plant resents root disturbance. Try to obtain divisions from around the edges of the plants without digging up the whole clump. Tease the divisions out with as much root on them as possible and pot them up. Grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse until they are rooting well and plant them out in the summer. Cuttings of greenwood with a heel in the summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist