Sulfur Buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum Torr.
Eriogonums are very common and tough native plants in Wyoming with flower colors ranging from white to pinkish to yellow. The commonly available cultivar of E. umbellatum, ‘Kannah Creek’, creates a nice, somewhat glossy groundcover and blooms most of the summer. Flowers age from a chartreuse yellow to a burnt-orange color, which works well with similarly colored sandstone pavers, and the leaves turn a nice red in the late summer. More than 20 species of Eriogonum grace the Wyoming landscape; many are worth growing in the garden and can be started from seed.
Height: 4-5” (leaves); flowers up to 12” tall
Width: 18-24”
Water needs: low
Exposure: full sun
Availability in nurseries: common
Native range: MT, ID, WY, UT, CO, NV, and OR
Plant family: Polygonaceae
Photo by Jennifer Thompson
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