Perennial Buckwheat (Fagopyrum dibotrys)

1 well-established plant in a 9cm pot, sent in plastic-free packaging. A highly vigorous, tall herbaceous perennial, prized for its immense biomass production, nutritional spring foliage, and status as a world-class pollinator attractant.

Perennial | 150/200cm tall | Full sun to partial shade | Edible cooked spring foliage | Premium pollinator forage and dynamic accumulator

Perennial Buckwheat is a robust, towering member of the buckwheat family, native to the mountainous regions of East Asia. While its famous annual cousin (Fagopyrum esculentum) is grown globally for its gluten-free grain, the perennial buckwheat is primarily cultivated as an edimental leaf crop. The young, tender, heart-shaped leaves and emerging shoots are harvested in early spring before the tough fibrous stems develop. When blanched or lightly sautéed like spinach, they offer a mild, pleasant flavour.

 Perennial Buckwheat is a fantastic late nectar source, as from late summer until the first hard frosts of autumn, it produces towering stems with branching panicles of tiny white flowers. The nectar produced by the flowers is easily accessible to short-tongued insects such as bees and hoverflies. 

This plant is virtually indestructible. Holding an RHS H6 hardiness rating, the deep rhizomes are completely frost-hardy and will easily survive temperatures down to -20°C. It thrives in almost any soil type, rapidly colonising poor, stony ground where other crops fail, and performs beautifully in both full sun and partial shade. This plant is a vigorous spreader and is best planted in a container or dedicated spot where it can be kept in check.