Eriogonum is from the Greek erion, wool, and gony, knee, alluding to the hairy nodes of the first species described, E. tomentosum; wrightii is named for William Greenwood Wright (1831-1912) a California lepidopterist.

Found in dry, rocky soils on flats and slopes, from 3,000-7,000 ft. in California, Nevada, Arizona, southern Utah, New Mexico, southern Texas; south into northern Mexico.

There are 9 recognized varieties within the larger distribution of this species, but two varieties are in Arizona and New Mexico: var. nodosum and var. wrightii.
Var. nodosum is mostly found in the low deserts of southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, and can be told apart by gray-tomentose flowering stems and branches. Var. wrightii is found from southeast California to west Texas and has white-tomentose stems.

Wright’s Buckwheat
Eriogonum wrightii

Family: Polygonaceae

Perennial subshrub, growing about 1.5’ high and spreading about 2’ with silvery foliage. areas. Wiry flower stalks bloom summer into fall with nectar-rich flowers.

Full to part sun, moderate to low water with good drainage, hardy to at least 0°F. This plant often acts like an annual or short-lived perennial in really dry/cold

This buckwheat is a larval food plant for the following butterflies:

Southwestern Azure (Celastrina echo ssp. cinerea)

Acmon Blue (Icaricia acmon)

Rita's Blue (Euphilotes rita)

Mexican Metalmark (Apodemia mejicanus)

Numerous insects use the nectar-rich flowers

Photo by quandary on iNaturalist
Eriogonum wrightii on SEINET

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Flattop Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

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Mexican Bird of Paradise (Erythrostemon mexicanus)