Flower profile

Cushion buckwheat

Eriogonum ovalifolium

Native in the lower 48

Cushion buckwheat is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.

11states

2of our state lists

6,461U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Nevada, Wyoming

Quick look

Eriogonum ovalifolium is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name cushion buckwheat. It is native to western North America from California to Alberta, where it is a member of many plant communities in varied habitats, including the sagebrush steppe and alpine regions.
From Wikipedia's article Eriogonum ovalifolium, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Polygonaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada and Wyoming. ^NatureServe
In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
In Wyoming, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,211 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #23 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 422 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #67 among the 107 flowers on our Wyoming list. ^iNaturalist

Cushion buckwheat gift ideas

Handmade cushion buckwheat gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Cushion buckwheat art print
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Cushion buckwheat greeting card
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Cushion buckwheat mug
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Cushion buckwheat earrings
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Cushion buckwheat embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (610 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Nevada	Native	May–July	1,211
Wyoming	Native	May–July	422

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Nevada: Variety listed Only Eriogonum ovalifolium var. williamsiae is on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010) (fully protected (critically endangered)). NatureServe: S5, secure in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: Eriogonum ovalifolium var. williamsiae is on Nevada's rare plant list (fully protected). ^{NAC 527.010}

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records cushion buckwheat in 11 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, White Pine.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, Washakie.

More Nevada flowers

Sulfur buckwheat

Eriogonum umbellatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in NV: June–September

Desert trumpet

Eriogonum inflatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in NV: March–September

American bistort

Bistorta bistortoides

Native

🌼 Blooms: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile EROV.
iNaturalist, Eriogonum ovalifolium: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Eriogonum ovalifolium (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Eriogonum ovalifolium (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: John Brew via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.