{"product_id":"california-buckwheat-seeds","title":"California Buckwheat Seeds (Eriogonum fasciculatum)","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eCalifornia buckwheat pulses with life along dry hillsides.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eNative from Southern Oregon, throughout California, and expanses of the Southwest, this is one of the most important wild insectary plants in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and dry slopes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eWhile this plant isn’t a buckwheat in the soba-noodle human food crop sense, it is a food crop for virtually everything else. Birds and small mammals live abundantly off its seeds. NUMEROUS native bees have been documented on its blossoms (60+ species have been observed on this plant – including specialists such as the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;\"\u003ebuckwheat masked bee - \u003cem\u003eHylaeus polifolii\u003c\/em\u003e). It is a larval host plant for numerous lepidopteran caterpillars: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003ethe blue copper (\u003cem\u003eLycaena heteronea\u003c\/em\u003e), the Mormon metalmark (\u003cem\u003eApodemia mormo\u003c\/em\u003e), \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;\"\u003ethe lupine blue (\u003cem\u003ePlebejus lupini\u003c\/em\u003e), \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eBehr’s metalmark (\u003cem\u003eApodemia virgulti\u003c\/em\u003e), the gray hairstreak (\u003cem\u003eStrymon melinus\u003c\/em\u003e), the square-spotted blue (\u003cem\u003eEuphilotes battoides\u003c\/em\u003e), the buck moth (\u003cem\u003eHemileuca electra\u003c\/em\u003e). Tremendous others convene as well, including scores of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;\"\u003ebeetles, flies, true bugs, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;\"\u003eand many wasps, including greatly endearing green-eyed American sand wasp (\u003cem\u003eBembix americana\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eCalifornia buckwheat is an evergreen shrub, rising to only about 2 to 4 feet tall, with long-lasting blooms as one of its most defining features (persisting for many weeks between April and October) as dense clusters of white to pink flowers that age to rust.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eThis is a virtually bullet-proof plant in dryland conditions, in landscapes touched by fire, drought, extremes of temperature. Yes, it’s great for chaparral restoration. It’s also spectacular as a yard showpiece, a plant to stick dead-center in a massive drift, with a comfortable seat nearby to watch the show (better than any streaming video).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eBest seeded in the dormant season either directly into prepared ground (most ideal), or in deep containers that can accommodate California buckwheat’s taproot development. (If container-sown it is best to transplant sooner rather than later). Once established this plant neither wants nor should it require summer irrigation. This is generally a heat-loving plant, one that prefers sandy, well-drained soils. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003eIf you’re growing California buckwheat in cool climates on the edge of its natural range, try placing it where it can benefit from some reflective and stored heat: the south-facing sides of buildings, adjacent to asphalt, urban heat island locations where more delicate species struggle. This is a plant that you can find in the remote Mojave, but it could probably tolerate a busy, sun-baked street island anywhere from Oregon to New Mexico.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Futura Medium',sans-serif;\"\u003e50+ seeds (3.0 grams).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Northwest Meadowscapes","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50347598708982,"sku":null,"price":6.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1274\/1723\/files\/california-buckwheat-seeds-eriogonum-fasciculatum-9627068.jpg?v=1776000669","url":"https:\/\/northwestmeadowscapes.com\/products\/california-buckwheat-seeds","provider":"Northwest Meadowscapes","version":"1.0","type":"link"}