Carried by 53 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Eriogonum arborescens is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name Santa Cruz Island buckwheat. This shrub is endemic to the Channel Islands of California.
The stems bear narrow, fuzzy green leaves at the ends of the branches. The bush erects clusters of densely clustered, frilly flowers. Each flower is tiny, very light pink in color, with nine protruding stamens. The flowers turn brown as they age. The bark is red and ribbony.
This is an uncommon plant in its native range on a few of the Channel Islands. It has also been planted as highway landscaping and in gardens on mainland California, where the shrub is not native.
Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat is easy to grow. Plant on dry, well drained shallow slopes or flats, and surround with plenty of mulch or rocks. It's extremely drought tolerant, and after the first two years should need no supplemental summer water. Even when drought-stressed in the summer, the plant looks beautiful, turning a beautiful silvery green color as the soil dries out.
Shrub
2 - 7 ft Tall
2 - 9 ft Wide
Mounding, Spreading
Moderate, Slow
Evergreen
None
Brown, Pink, White
Spring, Summer, Fall
Bank stabilization, Deer resistant
Full Sun
Low, Very Low
Max 1x / month once established
Easy
Tolerates cold to 10° F
Fast, Medium, Slow
Tolerant of sand and clay.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
Usually not needed
For propagating by seed: No treatment.
5, 7, 8*, 9*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Dry slopes, bluffs, and canyons on Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Rosa Islands, as part of the island form of chaparral and coastal sage scrub. The predominant atmospheric conditions are strongly marine influenced.
Chaparral, Coastal Scrub
Island companion plants include Santa Cruz Island Ironwood, Island Live Oak, Island Bristleweed, Channel Island Tree Poppy and Giant Coreopsis. Other chaparral and sage scrub companions include California Encelia, California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), and Ceanothus spp.
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 23 likely
Mormon Metalmark
Apodemia mormo
Behr's Metalmark
Apodemia virgulti
Orange Tortrix Moth
Argyrotaenia franciscana