Giant Buckwheat

Giant buckwheat, or St. Catherine’s lace, is a large California island shrub with rounded gray-green foliage and broad, airy flower clusters. The tiny white flowers open in summer and age to rusty brown, extending the plant’s seasonal display. [UC Davis Arboretum](https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/all-stars/saint-catherines-lace) gives a typical mature size of 5–7 feet tall and 6–10 feet wide and notes its value to native bees and other pollinators. ## Siting and Seasonal Interest Give this architectural shrub a sunny, open position with room to spread. It is native to California and is suited to dry, coastal, and water-conserving gardens once established. Its generous canopy works as a specimen or background shrub, while its flowers provide nectar and the aging heads add warm color after bloom. [Yerba Buena Nursery](https://www.nativeplants.com/online_album/0023.htm) describes the species in full sun with occasional water to dry conditions. ## Maintenance Leave the flowerheads to mature for rusty seasonal color and wildlife forage, or remove them for a tidier look. Prune in February or March if size control is needed, avoiding unnecessary shearing into old wood.