What is the goal of this campaign?
The California Native Plant Society, Orange County (OCCNPS) chapter created A Buckwheat in Every Garden to distribute California ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat plants to Orange County homeowners. The goal of the campaign is to give away starter buckwheat plants to help Orange County homeowners improve wildlife and habitat value in their home landscapes.
Four-inch ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat ready for a new home.
Who cultivated the buckwheat plants for the campaign?
Cultivation of the ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat plants began last summer by Tree of Life Nursery. Mike Evans, owner of Tree of Life Nursery, found the ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat at the Dana Point Headlands and selected it for cultivation because it showed a smaller, more compact growth habit than the California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum).
Compact nature of a ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat growing in a homeowner garden.
How are the plants distributed?
OCCNPS partners with cities, garden clubs, and nonprofit groups to distribute buckwheat plants to homeowners throughout Orange County.
‘Dana Point’ buckwheats wait for a new home in Orange. Photo by Thea Gavin.
How many plants have been distributed so far?
Last fall, OCCNPS distributed 1,400 buckwheat plants to homeowners throughout Orange County.
OCCNPS’s original goal was to distribute 1,500 buckwheat plants to Orange County homeowners, but demand was so high that the goal was increased to 2,500 buckwheat plants. Buckwheat distribution will continue through April 2020.
A Buckwheat in Every Garden event at the San Clemente Garden Club.
Where can I get a free California buckwheat in 2020?
- January 14, 15, and 16, 2020: Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar will give away buckwheat plants from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each of the three days while supplies last.
- January 20, 2020: San Juan Capistrano Garden Club will give away buckwheat plants at the monthly meeting held at the San Juan Hills Golf Course Banquet room at 9:30 a.m. in San Juan Capistrano.
- February 20, 2020: OCCNPS will distribute buckwheat plants at the Orange Coast College Sustainability Fair, 2701 Fairview Rd., Costa Mesa, from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
- April 25, 2020: OCCNPS will distribute buckwheat plants at the Dana Point Headlands Earth Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dana Point, California.
A happy homeowner receives her free buckwheat plant.
Who is paying for this campaign?
OCCNPS is a 501(c)(3) California non-profit organization. A Buckwheat in Every Garden is funded by our small treasury, and is operated with all volunteer labor.
Are the buckwheat plants free to homeowners?
The buckwheat plants are given away in exchange for the homeowner’s street and city. OCCNPS is mapping the plants as they are installed on an iNaturalist map. You can see the plants as they are installed at the A Buckwheat in Every Garden iNaturalist page.
More than 1,000 homeowners have planted buckwheat in Orange County.
What buckwheat giveaway events have been completed to date?
Completed October, November, and December BIEG events are listed below:
- October 5: Acorn Day, O’Neill Regional Park, Trabuco Canyon, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 96 plants distributed.
- October 12: Laguna Beach Smart Scape Expo 2019, 306 Third Street, Laguna Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 64 plants distributed.
- October 17: OCCNPS General Meeting, Duck Club, Irvine, 7 p.m., 78 plants distributed.
- October 18: Sea & Sage Audobon, Duck Club, Irvine, 7 p.m., 16 plants distributed.
- October 19: Orange Home Grown Education Farm, 356 N. Lemon St., Orange, 10 a.m. to noon., 48 plants distributed. Thea Gavin planted a two-gallon ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat on site and made a presentation about how buckwheat helps increase pollinators for fruit trees.
- October 22-24: Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd., Corona del Mar, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 160 plants distributed.
- October 26: Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 CA-74 on Ortega Hgwy., San Juan Capistrano, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 87 plants distributed.
- October 29: H2O for HOA’s, Laguna Niguel Water District, Laguna Hills Community Center, 8 a.m. to noon, 16 plants distributed.
- November 1-3: Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hils Rd., Corona del Mar, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 240 plants distributed.
- November 1: Fullerton Arboretum, Fullerton, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 96 plants distributed.
- November 6: San Clemente Garden Club, St. Andrews Church, 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente, 1 p.m., 86 plants distributed. OCCNPS Chapter President Brad Jenkins spoke about integrating wild land plants into your garden.
- November 8: Laguna Beach Garden Club, 415 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach, 9:30 to noon., 16 plants distributed.
- November 8: Sherman’s Gardens Lunch and Learn, Corona del Mar, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 48 plants distributed.
- November 10: St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 2200 San Joaquin Hills Rd., Corona del Mar, 9 a.m., 48 plants distributed.
- November 15: City of Dana Point, DP Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo, Dana Point, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 215 plants distributed. Representatives from the Friends of the Dana Point Headlands (where this buckwheat originated), Doheny State Beach, and San Onofre State Beach all helped promote and hand out buckwheats at this fun OCCNPS event.
- December 7: Shipley Nature Center, 17851 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 70 plants distributed.
- January 11, 2020: OCCNPS Vice President Ron Vanderhoff spoke at the Orange County Master Gardeners meeting in Irvine, California. Sixty-five ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat plants were given away at this event.
California native plants and books about gardening with natives at A Buckwheat in Every Garden event. Photo by Kris Ethington.
thank you thank you thank you from an anonymous citizen who’s heart aches every time he sees a dead bee on the ground. thank you.
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I’ve read that it’s NOT recommended planting buckwheat within 5 miles of the ocean because that was not part of its original habitat. Is that true?
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Hi! Thank you for asking this question. California buckwheat grows in nature along the coast. The ‘Dana Point’ California buckwheat that the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS) is giving away, is a selection of buckwheat growing near the coast at the Dana Point Headlands. It is safe and helpful to plant buckwheat within 5 miles of the coast. If you go to http://www.Calscape.org and type Eriogonum fasciculatum into the search engine, you will see a solid coastline mapped with California buckwheat.
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BV. I think you might confusing milkweed (Asclepias) with CA buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). It’s milkweed that some experts suggest not planting along the coast.
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This is so wonderful! Wish there was a campaign giving some away in Los Angeles!!
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Sarai, I agree! I live in Long Beach and know many residents/homeowners that would participate in this campaign.
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Hi Michelle, I wish we could extend this program to Long Beach and Riverside too! But we are a small group with limited time and financial resources, so we have to keep the buckwheat campaign for Orange County homeowners only. Ask your LA CNPS chapter to think about starting a campaign like A Buckwheat in Every Garden.
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Most awesome! Thank you for doing this campaign.
Sunrise.Butterfly.Freedom. Garden in Garden Grove is on board! 😊👍❤
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Yay!
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How literally do you mean “homeowners”? What if one is a renter with a cooperative landlord?
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Hi Dora, Thanks for your question. Renters can definitely participate in this program, especially if they have a cooperative landlord. As long as you have the space for a plant that grows three feet wide, you can have a buckwheat to install.
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