Buckwheat Brings Butterflies

OCCNPS Blog

About

Buckwheat Brings Butterflies is a forum sponsored by the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS). OCCNPS is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to protecting California’s native plants and their natural habitats. Our chapter is made up of people from every walk of life: gardeners, scientists, students, teachers, and friends.

Group photo of 15 people smiling, standing together in front of a banner reading 'California Native Plant Society'. They are in a well-lit indoor setting.
OCCNPS Board Members and Executive Director of CNPS, Jun Bando.

OUR MISSION: To protect California’s native plants and their natural habitats, today and into the future, through science, education, stewardship, gardening, and advocacy.

OUR VISION:  A future in which native plant diversity flourishes. Where all people have access to native plants in both the built environment and the wild. Where people of all backgrounds play a vital role in the conservation of our native plant heritage.

OUR WORK: The Orange County chapter of CNPS supports local schools with our Acorn Grant, young scientists with our O’Neill Grant, and local conservation with the Celia Kutcher Conservation Award.

Additionally, our scientists have developed an Emergent Invasive Plant program, conducted in depth plant surveys of the Santa Ana Mountains, Caspers Wilderness Park, and Whiting Regional Park. For young learners, our chapter recently developed the California Native Plant Coloring Book. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website. 

Nature is resilient. When we help nature, we help each other thrive. Let's welcome plants that are native to where we live into our lives. You can find more resources and inspiration at the OCCNPS website.

The Buckwheat Brings Butterflies blog is edited by Elizabeth Wallace, co-president of OCCNPS. Wallace is a native plant gardener who enjoys learning how to bring plants from the California wild into our landscape. Let’s explore the world of California native plant gardening together. If you have native plants in your garden, feel free to share your successes and failures with us.

Saddleback and Bush Sunflower
Native Encelia growing in the foreground of Saddleback Mountain. (Photo by E. Wallace)

7 responses to “About”

  1. Karen Hut Avatar
    Karen Hut

    I live in Wildomar, kind of out in the country. I pulled up a buckwheat plant from a field and planted it in my very large yard. It seems to be very invasive. I don’t mind a few plants, but I don’t want it all over my yard!

    Reply
    1. E. Wallace Avatar
      E. Wallace

      Hi Karen, Thanks for your comment. Black mustard (Brassica nigra from N. Africa, Asia and Europe) fits the definition of an invasive species: a plant that will invade, establish and perpetuate itself in a wild land environment. Buckwheat, on the other hand, is a native to California, and yes it is a hardy plant that grows well in a garden environment.

      The California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) growing my yard creates its own mulch, then sets down roots to grow in the mulch. I find it easy to contain my buckwheat to a small area in my yard by reducing the amount of supplemental water it receives, and by cutting it back once a year in late fall. I have another buckwheat plant on a small hillside that hasn’t grown much for five years and never needs pruning.

      It sounds like your buckwheat plant has ideal conditions for growth in your yard! Have you pruned it? Have you tried pulling up the roots the buckwheat sends out to grow in its mulch? I have done this too in years past.

      I also wanted to add that the ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat that OCCNPS is giving away as part of its Buckwheat in Every Garden campaign is a smaller plant, selected because it generally grows from one- to three-feet wide, making it quite compatible with most people’s gardens.

      Write back and let me know how you take care of the buckwheat you planted. It is interesting to hear your experience.

      Reply
  2. annaugustine Avatar
    annaugustine

    Great article. We just moved to SoCal from MD last year and gardening here is quite different from back East. We removed all the birds of paradise “trees”, two CA pepper trees and some other non native shrubbery from our small patio garden space. We have been planting natives with mostly luck but some did not survive. We r learning what will do well here and find it fascinating. We buy most of our plants from Tree of Life nursery in SJC.

    Reply
    1. E. Wallace Avatar
      E. Wallace

      Hi! Great job removing the non-natives. When you plant California natives in your cultivated garden, you will learn a lot and help pollinators, wildlife, and birds. Keep trying! Gardening with native plants can be experimental, but also lots of fun. If you love gardening, you will enjoy the change of seasons, and also trying new plants where others may have failed. Tree of Life is a great resource for native plants. I am glad you are here in SoCal. Keep up the good work.

      Reply
      1. annaugustine Avatar
        annaugustine

        Thanks! Will keep trying to make this place not just a human home but a small-scale landscape for our feathered and winged friends!

  3. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    Hello! How close is your garden to the coast? Do you have hot summers, getting over 100 degrees for a few days at a time? If so, how do plants like Channel Island poppy handle that? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    1. E. Wallace Avatar
      E. Wallace

      Dear Rachel, Thanks for asking about St. Catherine’s Lace in inland gardens. Dan Songster, the author of the article, mentioned that these plants do surprisingly well inland. If you decide to give Eriogonum giganteum a try in your inland garden, let us know how it performs.

      Reply

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