Whitewoolly Buckwheat (var. ochrocephalum) Eriogonum ochrocephalum var. ochrocephalum variety
Whitewoolly Buckwheat (var. ochrocephalum) is a perennial shrub native to the lower 48 states. A host for pollen-specialist native bees.
More about this plant
Eriogonum ochrocephalum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name whitewoolly buckwheat. It is native to the Great Basin of the United States, where it grows in local habitat such as sagebrush. It is a perennial herb forming a thick clump or mat covered in clusters of woolly lance-shaped to oval leaves. The inflorescences arise on erect scapes and bear many tiny yellow flowers in a rounded cluster. Wikipedia →
Growing & care
USDA PLANTS · TRY- Hardiness
- ≥ zone 7 derived from its U.S. range
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Wildlife & pollinators
How pollinator value is scored →❧ Caterpillar hosts ~9 caterpillar species
Eriogonum supports ~9 caterpillar species.
Native butterfly & moth caterpillars are the base of the terrestrial food web — most songbirds rear their young almost entirely on them. As a host for native Lepidoptera this is a modest genus.
Recorded feeding on Eriogonum in North America, including:
+ 8 more species → ↑ show fewer
✦ Bees specialist-bee host
Specialist native bees depend on it.
Some native bees are pollen specialists (oligolectic) — they raise young only on pollen from particular plant genera. Eriogonum is a recorded specialist-bee host, so losing it can mean losing the bee that relies on it.
Related plants
More Eriogonum →
Sources for this entry (12) Open & cited
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