Santa Cruz Island buckwheat

Description

Eriogonum arborescens is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name Santa Cruz Island buckwheat. Eriogonum arborescens is a woody shrub that grows from 6–15 decimetres (2.0–4.9 ft) in height, and sprawling from 5–30 decimetres (1.6–9.8 ft) in diameter. The stems have shreddy maroon-brown bark. They bear narrow, fuzzy green leaves at the ends of the branches, each 2 to 5 centimeters long and sometimes with edges rolled under. The frilly inflorescences of densely clustered flowers erect on nearly naked peduncles. Each flower is only a few millimeters wide, very light pink in color, with nine protruding stamens. The bloom period is from April to October. This shrub is endemic to the northern Channel Islands of California except San Miguel Island. It is found in coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats, between 10–600 metres (33–1,969 ft).