Practical
Plants

Fagopyrum esculentum

Buckwheat

an annual member of the Fagopyrum genus in the family Polygonaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
1.5 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Bees, Flies
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Bees, Flies

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant has caused photosensitivity in some people, only the dehusked grain is considered to be safe.

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw or cooked like spinach[4, 183, K]. Not that wonderful raw, they improve somewhat with cooking[K]. The leaves are rich in rutin[9] (see below for more details) and so are a very healthy addition to the diet[K]. Seed - raw or cooked. A nutty flavour, though it has a somewhat gritty texture[K]. The seed can be soaked overnight in warm water then sprouted for a few days and added to salads[11]. It can also be ground into a powder and used as a cereal[12][20][23] when it can be made into pancakes, noodles, breads etc or be used as a thickening agent in soups etc[21][11]. Rich in vitamin B6[5]. An excellent beer can be brewed from the grain[17].

Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Rutin
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Buckwheat is a bitter but pleasant tasting herb that is frequently used medicinally because the leaves are a good source of rutin[16]. Rutin is useful in the treatment of a wide range of circulatory problems, it dilates the blood vessels, reduces capillary permeability and lowers blood pressure[16][19]. The leaves and shoots of flowering plants are acrid, astringent and vasodilator[20][4][6]. It is used internally in the treatment of high blood pressure, gout, varicose veins, chilblains, radiation damage etc[20][4][6]. It is best used in conjunction with vitamin C since this aids absorption[19]. Often combined with lime flowers (Tilia species), it is a specific treatment for haemorrhage into the retina[19]. The leaves and flowering stems are harvested as the plant begins to flower and are dried for later use[16]. They should be stored in the dark because the active ingredients rapidly degrade in the light[16]. Some caution should be exercised in the use of this herb because it has been known to cause light-sensitive dermatitis[16]. A poultice made from the seeds has been used for restoring the flow of milk in nursing mothers[20]. An infusion of the herb has been used in the treatment of erysipelas (an acute infectious skin disease)[20][17]. A homeopathic remedy has been made from the leaves[23]. It is used in the treatment of eczema and liver disorders[23].

Product or use
Acrid
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Galactogogue
Product or use
Vasodilator

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A very good green manure plant, it can be used to reclaim badly degraded soils and subsoils[1][10][13][15]. A blue dye is obtained from the stems[22][2]. A brown dye is obtained from the flowers[20].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
C. Asia. An occasional casual in Britain.
Habitat
Waste ground as an escape from cultivation[8]. Its original habitat is obscure.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow from the middle of spring to early summer in situ. The seed usually germinates in 5 days[3]. The earlier sowings are for a seed or leaf crop whilst the later sowings are used mainly for leaf crops or green manure.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A very easily grown plant, it prefers dry sandy soils but succeeds in most conditions including poor[22][4][9], heavy[10] or acid soils[4] and even sub-soils[5]. Prefers a cool moist climate, but it also succeeds in dry and arid regions[9]. Buckwheat is frequently cultivated for its edible seed and leaves, it can produce a seed crop in 100 days from sowing[4] and a crop of leaves in 8 weeks. There are some named varieties[11]. The seed ripens irregularly over a period of several weeks so it is difficult to harvest[4]. Plants have poor frost resistance but they are disease and insect resistant[7]. They inhibit the growth of winter wheat[10][13][15]. The flowers have a pleasant sweet honey scent[18] and are extremely attractive to bees and hoverflies[20][9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

    ↩

  3. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

    ↩

  4. Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986-00-00 ISBN 0704909820

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  5. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2

  6. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩1↩2

  7. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

    ↩

  8. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  9. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  10. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  13. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2

  14. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

  15. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2

  16. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  17. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩1↩2

  18. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  19. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3

  20. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  21. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  22. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩1↩2

  23. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

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