Garden tip: Marin home to rare buckwheat

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a plant whose seed is used to produce buckwheat flour. It’s an important cultivated crop plant.

Buckwheat (Eriogonum species) are plants that are common natives in California. There are many species of Eriogonum; some sources say 250 species! In Marin, we have a rare and endangered species. Tiburon buckwheat (Eriogonum luteolum var. caninum) grows on serpentine soil on Ring Mountain. The plants are small (18 inches), and the flowers are small and white to pink in color.