Other Names:  Sulphur-flower Buckwheat, Wild Buckwheat

Description:

A durable, attractive plant for use in low maintenance landscaping or xeriscaping; bright yellow, late spring flower clusters mature over summer to orange; the handsome foliage turns burgundy in fall and winter; perfect for rock gardens or naturalizing

Ornamental Features

Sulphur Buckwheat features showy clusters of yellow flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to late summer, which emerge from distinctive red flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its tomentose oval leaves are grayish green in color with curious silver undersides. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous burgundy in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Sulphur Buckwheat is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sulphur Buckwheat is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Sulphur Buckwheat will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity extending to 14 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is native to parts of North America.