My Deer Garden

Is Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat deer resistant?

Eriogonum umbellatum

Seldom damaged

Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Not listed by Rutgers NJAES. Rated deer-resistant by El Paso County CSU Extension, whose list is a single category, mapped conservatively to Seldom Severely Damaged.

Plant typePerennialHardinessZones 4–8LightPart shade
Mature height72–72 in
BloomSummer and Fall
MaintenanceModerate
Native range10 US states

About Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat

Everything about it is low: a mat of leathery green leaves, silver underneath and reddening in autumn, with umbels of yellow flowers held just clear of it on short bare stalks. Deer generally pass it by. Provenance matters more here than with almost anything else you will plant. The species varies so much across its range that stock raised from one habitat will not necessarily settle in another, and a form that came off high scree is a poor bet in a warm low garden. Ask a nursery where their material originated; if they cannot tell you, buy something else. The same variability is why the height figures conflict. The plant stands six to twelve inches, while individual stems can trail several feet, and the two get quoted as though they were the same measurement. Give it gritty, well-drained ground, a slope if you have one, and stone rather than bark against the crown.

Similar to Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat

Other perennials with the same deer rating.

Where Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat grows

Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.

Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 10 US states in total.

Browse from here

Every list Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat belongs to.

Hardy in these zones

Common questions about Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat

Is Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat deer resistant?
Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat grow in?
Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat grow in shade?
Yes. Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat get?
Mature height is roughly 72–72 in. Growth rate is moderate.