Climbing False Buckwheat (RWMWD Plant Guide)

Climbing False Buckwheat

Fallopia scandens

Summary ³

Fallopia scandens (climbing false buckwheat) is a species of Fallopia native to North America. It is a herbaceous perennial plant which grows from to 1–5 m (39–197 in) tall. Although they are semi-erect during bloom, when they are producing fruit, they hang from their pedicels in a downward position. Both the fruit and flower are greenish-white in appearance. In North America, it is often misidentified with fallopia dumetorum, a species endemic to Europe.

Description ⁴

Family:
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat)

Height:
3 to 15 foot vine

Leaves:
Arrowhead or heart-shaped leaves up to 5.5 inches long, often with reddish stems

Flower:
Small (⅛ inch long) white or light green flowers form on racemes throughout the vine

Bloom time:
July-September

Habitat:
Woods, thickets, roadsides

Wildlife Benefits:
Nectar source for bees, flies, and wasps. Mice and black bears eat seed. Foliage provides cover for many mammals and birds.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Although climbing false buckwheat is a native plant, it can grow aggressively and cover other plants. Planting is not recommended.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/climbing-false-buckwheat
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/cl_buckwheat.htm

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

(c) Rob Curtis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Rob Curtis
Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallopia_scandens
(c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNaturalistAU Map

Habit	Forb, Vine
Family	Polygonaceae
Flower	green, white
Origin	native
Life cycle	annual, perennial
Bloom time	(7) July, (8) August, (9) September
*sites	Lake Phalen, Snail Lake

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