Description

Naked buckwheat is so named for the slender bare stems that rise above the foliage in late spring and summer bearing multiple spherical flower clusters. The foliage tends to be rather prostrate in Santa Clara County populations, though it may be more upright and rounded in other populations of this widely distributed buckwheat. The leaves are oval and gray-green. The flower stocks contrast with the foliage in that they tower to a height of three to five feet, topped with flowers of white, pink or yellow. Naked buckwheat requires a sunny setting in well-draining soil. It should be kept fairly dry after being established. Like all the buckwheats, naked buckwheat is an excellent nectar source for a variety of pollinators, such as the acmon blue and bramble hairstreak butterflies.