Slender Buckwheat, Alpine slender buckwheat, San Bernardino buckwheat, Johnston's buckwheat, Panamin
Eriogonum microthecum
Family: Polygonaceae
What it is like
Eriogonum microthecum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Sandy deserts to lower montane slopes, especially with sagebrush.
South-western N. America - Nebraska to Washington, south to New Mexico and California.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
A tea is made from the plant.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 1
A decoction of the roots or tops has been used in the treatment of coughs caused by TB. A decoction of the stems and leaves has been used to treat bladder problems. It has also been used externally in hot compresses or as a wash for lameness and rheumatism.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
TB: Plants used in the treatment of tuberculosis
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. A very variable plant, it has been divided into a number of varieties. 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: Shrub
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist