Herb: Seaside Buckwheat


Latin name: Eriogonum latifolium


Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)



Medicinal use of Seaside Buckwheat:

A decoction of the root, stalk and leaves has been used in the treatment of headaches, stomach aches, coughs and colds. A decoction of the roots has been used as a wash for sore eyes.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Cliffs and sandy places near the coast.

Edible parts of Seaside Buckwheat:

Young stems - raw. Tender. Eaten by children in early summer.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a sandy compost in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed in early spring in a warm greenhouse. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in early spring. This has to be done with care because the plant resents root disturbance. Try to obtain divisions from around the edges of the plants without digging up the whole clump. Tease the divisions out with as much root on them as possible and pot them up. Grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse until they are rooting well and plant them out in the summer. Cuttings of greenwood with a heel in the summer.

Cultivation of Seaside Buckwheat:

Cliffs and sandy places near the coast.

Known hazards of Eriogonum latifolium:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.