Plant in full sun in sandy or even heavier clay soil with little to no irrigation. Hardy to 15 ° F. This dark form of the normally pink flowering variety, which we also grow and list as Eriogonum grande var. rubescens, is a dramatic looking plant and like the typical pink form, should prove to be both a great looking and durable buckwheat with pollen and seed that also attracts butterflies (Gray Hairstreak, Acmon Blue) and birds.

This plant is native to San Miguel, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa islands in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands chain. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'erion' meaning "wool" and 'gonu' meaning a "joint" or a "knee", which some interpret to be in reference to the hairy joints of some of the species of the genus. The specific epithet is from the Latin word 'grandis' meaning "large", "grand" or "showy", and in this case it was likely for the showy flowers. The varietal name means "becoming red, again in reference to the pinkish red flowers.

Our crop of this plant is seed grown from seeds collected by our outside salesman Matthew Roberts with the owner's permission off a garden plant in Manhattan Beach. The owner knew that this plant had originally been purchased from the Theodore Payne Foundation and we are told by them that they did once have a red seed strain that they grew. 

The information about Eriogonum grande var. rubescens 'Red Ranger' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.