LACY BUCKWHEATBRUSH

Eriogonum corymbosum

Buckwheat Family (Polygonaceae)

Lacy buckwheatbrush is a plant of the driest deserts of the Colorado Plateau, but it has proven remarkably adaptable in a garden setting, tolerating traditional watering regimes and rich soils as well as tough conditions and total neglect. It has an intriguing growth form that gives it year-round interest in the garden. The pale green, leafy branches form a low, rounded mound, with the branching flowering stalks forming a stiff, wirelike dome over the leaves. This dome is covered with flowers that vary from pale pink to deep rose or bright sulfur yellow in midsummer through fall. As the seeds ripen, the flowers and their stalks turn rust-colored. This red, cagelike structure persists through winter, even under the snow. In the spring, the new branches just grow out through the old. Lacy buckwheatbrush is a stunning addition to the waterwise garden, providing a floral show in the heat of late summer, when little else is in flower. It combines well with desert sage, winterfat, and Indian ricegrass, and also looks beautiful interplanted with yuccas and green mormon tea.