Other Names:  Wild Buckwheat

Description:

An attractive plant for use in xeriscaping; a native perennial producing white to pink flowers on erect scapes above the gray-green foliage in summer; excellent for naturalizing

Ornamental Features

Kennedy's Buckwheat features showy clusters of white flowers with pink overtones rising above the foliage from early to late summer, which emerge from distinctive rose flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive tomentose scale-like leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the year. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Kennedy's Buckwheat is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

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 bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Kennedy's 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

Kennedy's Buckwheat will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 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 sandy 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.