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Clay-loving Wild Buckwheat
Though it’s well-equipped to survive in a place where few others can, the clay-loving buckwheat is limited to a rare and threatened habitat.
About This Species
The clay-loving wild buckwheat is a small but long-lived shrub; despite growing to only 2 to 4 inches tall, it can live for at least 20 years. The tiny flowers of this shrub are, unusually, pollinated by ants as well as bees. Colorado is home to many common members of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). This plant is not only endemic to Colorado (found here and nowhere else on Earth), but is only found in two counties: Montrose and Delta. This rare buckwheat was listed as an endangered species in 1984.
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Physical Characteristics
Clay-loving wild buckwheats are small shrubs (known as subshrubs) that typically only grow to 2 to 4 inches tall. This species has woody stems that shed bark with age and small, needle-like, dark green leaves. Tiny white or cream flowers can be found clustered on the ends of branches from May to September.
Range
Clay-loving wild buckwheats are only found in the adobe hills and flats near Montrose and Delta counties in Colorado. This species grows between 5,220 and 6,375 feet.
Habitat
As their name suggests, clay-loving wild buckwheats need clay-rich soils to survive. In fact, they are only found in the white alkaline clay barrens of Colorado. These harsh landscapes are called “barrens” because only specifically adapted plants can survive in such alkaline clay soils — very few plants are found there.
This species grows alongside other plants that can tolerate this alkaline clay environment, such as mat saltbrush (Atriplex corrugata), shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), black sagebrush (Artemisia nova) and Adobe Hills beardtongue (Penstemon retrorsus, which is also a rare plant endemic to this habitat).
Threats to Species
Because of this species’ restriction to such a rare habitat, one of its biggest threats is habitat loss. Many of these plants are found on private land, and development near Delta and Montrose threatens the adobe hills in which they live. Populations on public lands are also at risk from habitat degradation due to off-highway vehicle use and grazing. The increasing frequency and severity of climate-induced drought in the region also poses a significant threat to the species.