''Eriogonum crocatum'', the Conejo buckwheat or saffron buckwheat, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of ''

Eriogonum ''Eriogonum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae. The genus is found in North America and is known as wild buckwheat. This is a highly species-rich genus, and indications are that active speciation is continuing. It incl ...

'', or wild buckwheat. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the

Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It is located in the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. Communities in the Conejo ...

and surrounding regions in

Ventura County Ventura County () is a County (United States), county in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, California ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Jepson
. accessed 7.1.2012. It grows on open, dry hillsides, often in crags in rock faces.

Description

''Eriogonum crocatum'' is a perennial shrub less than high by wide. Its foliage is a striking silvery green, with woolly leaves. The Conejo buckwheat flowers from April–August, bearing clusters of tiny bright, sulfur yellow flowers. It has no dormancy period.

Cultivation

''Eriogonum crocatum'' has entered limited cultivation in

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

gardens and

xeriscaping Xeriscaping is the process of landscaping, or gardening, that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water and has gained acceptance in other ...

. It likes sun and is drought tolerant. It rarely exceeds 0.5 m in height and 1 m in width, so it makes an excellent accent plant. It thrives in clay soils and survives some other soils. It is reportedly difficult to cultivate outside of the southern California area. It can tolerate light freezes.

References

External links

Jepson Manual treatment: ''Eriogonum crocatum''''Eriogonum crocatum'' — U.C.Photo gallery
crocatum Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Natural history of Ventura County, California Garden plants of North America Drought-tolerant plants {{Polygonaceae-stub