Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum
Previously known as:
- Fagopyrum sagittatum
- Fagopyrum vulgare
- Polygonum fagopyrum
- Phonetic Spelling
- fah-goh-PY-rum es-kew-LEN-tum
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Buckwheat is a quick-growing, edibile, flowering summer annual in the knotweed family. Though not a legume, is an excellent cover crop. The seeds germinate quickly, within 3 to 4 days of sowing and when harvested are edbile as a grain. When densely planted it efectively supresses weeds and supports a variety of beneficial insects, including honeybees. The flowers appear quickly on new plants and are long-lasting in bouquets.
Buckwheat prefers full or partial sun and moist to mesic conditions in a variety of soils, including loam, clay-loam, light sand, and muck. It does best in low-fertility sites and high levels of nitrogen can reduce the plant yield. This plant grows quickly and begins to flower at a small size. Mature buckwheat is about 2 1/2 feet tall, erect, and branching occasionally. It may need support to avoid a tendency to sprawl. Dense white flowers bloom for up to 3 months with a pleasant aroma. The plant will spread through reseeding.
Buckwheat seed is a food allergen containing compounds that can cause irritating skin disorders in cases where there is heavy consumption and also exposure to sunlight[. Only the dehusked grain is considered to be safe.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Fagopyrum
- Species:
- esculentum
- Family:
- Polygonaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Source of fodder for animals or as a green manure for agricultural fields.
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Tibet to China
- Distribution:
- Introduced worldwide: North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Wildlife Value:
- A minor source of food for large and small mammals and songbirds. A nectar source for honeybees and other beneficial insects.
- Edibility:
- Cooked seeds can be eaten as a cereal grain.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Edible
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Winged achene with 3 sides. The wings of this achene form a heart-like shape with smooth edges. The achenes can be blown about by the wind because of their sizable wings.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Colored Sepals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- One or two racemes of flowers develop from the axils of the upper leaves; some of these racemes may be terminal. These racemes are densely crowded with whorls of 1/2 inch flowers. Each flower consists of 5 petal-like sepals, 8 white stamens with pink anthers, a tripartite white style, and no petals. The sepals are white, sometimes becoming green toward the throat of the flower. The outer surface of the sepals is occasionally tinted light pink, particularly on the flowerbuds. The blooming period occurs during the summer and lasts 1-3 months. There is a pleasant floral scent.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Undulate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Arrowhead-shaped alternate leaves and swollen sheathes. The leaves are 4 inches long and 3 inches across. They are indented at the base, and often taper abruptly above the middle. The lower leaves have slender petioles, while the upper leaves are sessile. The upper stems are hairy on some cultivars.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Description:
- Hollow stems that are light green and round, but become ribbed and reddish green with maturity,
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
