Sticky Buckwheat: A Rare Nevada Native That Needs Our Protection
If you’re passionate about native plants and conservation, you may have come across the name sticky buckwheat (Eriogonum viscidulum) in your research. This little-known member of the buckwheat family represents one of nature’s more elusive treasures, and there’s an important story every gardener should know before considering adding it to their landscape.
What Makes Sticky Buckwheat Special?
Sticky buckwheat is an annual forb native to the United States, specifically found in Nevada. As a forb, it’s an herbaceous plant without significant woody tissue—think of it as one of those delicate wildflowers that complete their entire life cycle in a single growing season. The name sticky likely refers to some characteristic of the plant’s texture, though detailed descriptions of its appearance are scarce in horticultural literature.
A Plant on the Edge: Understanding Its Rarity
Here’s where things get serious. Sticky buckwheat carries a Global Conservation Status of S2, which translates to Imperiled. This means it’s extremely rare, with typically only 6 to 20 known occurrences and somewhere between 1,000 to 3,000 individual plants remaining in the wild. When a plant reaches this level of rarity, it’s teetering on the edge of being lost forever.
Where Does Sticky Buckwheat Call Home?
This rare gem is endemic to Nevada, making it a true Silver State specialty. Its limited geographic distribution contributes significantly to its vulnerable status—when a plant exists in such a small area, any environmental changes or habitat disruption can have devastating consequences.
Should You Plant Sticky Buckwheat?
This is where we need to have an honest conversation. While the idea of growing rare native plants is appealing to many conservation-minded gardeners, sticky buckwheat presents some unique challenges:
- Extreme rarity: With so few plants left in the wild, any collection could impact wild populations
- Limited availability: You’re unlikely to find this species at your local nursery or even specialty native plant sales
- Unknown cultivation requirements: Very little is documented about its specific growing needs, making successful cultivation challenging
- Conservation priority: Efforts should focus on protecting existing wild populations rather than cultivation
If You’re Determined to Help
If you’re passionate about supporting this species, consider these alternatives:
- Support conservation organizations working to protect Nevada’s rare plants
- Choose other Nevada buckwheat species that are more common and better suited to cultivation
- Participate in citizen science projects that help monitor rare plant populations
- Only source from reputable dealers who can guarantee responsibly collected or propagated material (though this is extremely unlikely to be available)
The Bigger Picture
Sticky buckwheat serves as a reminder of how much botanical diversity we still have to discover and protect. As an annual plant, it likely plays an important role in its Nevada ecosystem during its brief growing season, though specific details about its wildlife benefits remain unknown.
For most gardeners interested in supporting native biodiversity, focusing on more common Nevada natives or other buckwheat species will provide greater success and conservation impact. These alternatives can offer similar ecological benefits while ensuring that rare species like sticky buckwheat remain safely in their natural habitats where they belong.
The Takeaway
Sometimes the best way to love a plant is to admire it from afar and support its conservation rather than trying to bring it into our gardens. Sticky buckwheat represents one of those special cases where our role as gardeners shifts from cultivators to protectors, ensuring that future generations might have the chance to encounter this Nevada treasure in its wild home.
