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.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
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
Less than 12 inches
Growth rate
Rapid
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
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.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
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.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
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.
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Hollow stems that are light green and round, but become ribbed and reddish green with maturity,
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
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.
Attracts
Bees; Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Seeds
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Edibility
Cooked seeds can be eaten as a cereal grain.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Source of fodder for animals or as a green manure for agricultural fields.
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Pollinator Garden
Garden tags
#nectar plant summer #food source fall #flower arrangements #cover crop #cutting garden #small mammals #fall flowers #white flowers #summer flowers #fragrant flowers #nectar plant fall #bird friendly #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #honey bees #fast growing #edible seeds #wildlife friendly #cover crop-summer #contact dermatitis
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits
Poison symptoms
Skin rash following ingestion and exposure to sunlight, in susceptible individuals.