Join the California Native Plant Society Orange County Chapter (OCCNPS) as we add 2,500 native California buckwheat plants to Orange County gardens. OCCNPS is giving away one free California buckwheat per homeowner through May 2020. Why? Because when homeowners install native plants, the home landscape becomes a healthy environment for birds, butterflies, and pollinators.

Bernardino Blue butterfly on California buckwheat. (C. Wright)

Did you know that California is a diversity hotspot with more native plant species than any other state in the nation? The stunning array of gorgeous native plant varieties can make it difficult to select the best native plants for your garden. OCCNPS wants to help by offering the ‘Dana Point’ selection of the California buckwheat because it is a long-blooming and garden-friendly shrub.

New buckwheat from the Fullerton giveaway event installed in the garden. (S. Bressler)

California buckwheats (Eriogonum fasciculatum) flower from spring through fall, providing valuable nectar and forage for pollinators, butterflies, and other animals. Buckwheats are covered with creamy white flowers and grow in a mounding form that perfectly accents slopes or planter areas. They grow in any soil, require no fertilizer or herbicides, and require little water once established.

Masked bee visits a buckwheat flower. (K. Ethington)

Where can you get your free California buckwheat four-inch starter plant? Stop by Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar or Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano, while supplies last. Both nurseries are operating carefully with COVID-19 protections and physical distancing in place. Check their websites or call first to check availability and hours of operation.

One of many clusters of blossoms on California buckwheat. (R. Vanderhoff)

Stay safe and be well. After you pick up your free buckwheat (while supplies last), find a sunny place in your yard to plant it, then watch closely as butterflies and pollinators come for a visit.