Herb: Slender Buckwheat


Latin name: Eriogonum microthecum


Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)



Medicinal use of Slender Buckwheat:

A decoction of the roots or tops has been used in the treatment of coughs caused by TB. A decoction of the stems and leaves has been used to treat bladder problems. It has also been used externally in hot compresses or as a wash for lameness and rheumatism.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy deserts to lower montane slopes, especially with sagebrush.

Edible parts of Slender Buckwheat:

A tea is made from the plant.

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 Slender Buckwheat:

Sandy deserts to lower montane slopes, especially with sagebrush.

Known hazards of Eriogonum microthecum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.