Mount Diablo buckwheat facts for kids

The Mount Diablo buckwheat (scientific name: Eriogonum truncatum) is a small, pretty pink wildflower. For many years, people thought this plant was completely extinct, meaning it had vanished from the Earth. But guess what? It was rediscovered in 2005! This special flower is only found on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County, northern California.

What is the Mount Diablo Buckwheat Like?

The Mount Diablo buckwheat is an annual plant. This means it grows, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies all within one year. It can grow to be about 150 to 750 millimeters (6 to 30 inches) tall. When it blooms, you'll see dozens of small, pinkish flowers. Each petal has a cool maroon line down its center. The flower stalks branch out like a wishbone, with flowers appearing at the joints and ends of these branches.

Where Does the Mount Diablo Buckwheat Live?

This unique plant has been found growing at the edge of chaparral areas. Chaparral is a type of shrubland with dense bushes. Scientists think the buckwheat might have been pushed into these areas by other plants that are not native to California. Since the plant was rediscovered, people have been collecting its seeds. This helps them grow more plants in special gardens to keep the species safe.

The History of the Mount Diablo Buckwheat

The first time anyone officially recorded seeing the Mount Diablo buckwheat was on May 29, 1862. This sighting was made by William Henry Brewer. He was a botanist working on a survey of California's plants. Brewer found the buckwheat at a place called Rancho Los Méganos, which was a large ranch at the northeast side of Mount Diablo.

Between 1862 and 1936, the Mount Diablo buckwheat was only seen a few more times. There were just seven official records of it during that whole period.

The Last Sighting Before Rediscovery

In 1936, a student named Mary Bowerman recorded the last known sighting of the Mount Diablo buckwheat. Mary was studying at the University of California, Berkeley. She found the plant in two different spots around Mount Diablo. Later, she even helped start an organization called Save Mount Diablo in 1971. This group works to protect the natural areas around the mountain.

After Mary's sightings in 1936, no one could find the Mount Diablo buckwheat for many years. Many botanical surveys were done, but the plant seemed to have disappeared.

The Exciting 2005 Rediscovery

Then, on May 10, 2005, something amazing happened! Michael Park, another student from the University of California, Berkeley, was exploring Mount Diablo. He was looking closely in areas that hadn't been searched very well before. Suddenly, he realized he was surrounded by early blooming buckwheat plants. When he understood that these were the long-lost Mount Diablo buckwheat, he was so surprised! He later said he was so shocked that he "pretended it wasn't there."

About a week after this exciting find, several groups announced the rediscovery. These included the California Department of Parks & Recreation, Save Mount Diablo, and the University of California at Berkeley. The news spread quickly around the world. It was a big deal, especially since it happened shortly after another rare bird, the Ivory-billed woodpecker, was thought to be rediscovered.

Growing More Plants

After the rediscovery, scientists collected seeds from the wild buckwheat plants in 2005. In 2006, they announced that the plants in the wild were doing well. They also managed to grow twelve new plants at the U.C. Botanical Garden in Berkeley. More seeds were collected in 2006 and 2007, both from wild plants and the ones grown in the garden. In 2006, they got over 40,000 seeds, and in 2007, they collected more than 145,000 seeds!

Protecting the Future

Even with these successes, the Mount Diablo buckwheat is still considered very threatened. It's an annual wildflower, meaning it dies after flowering, and it's only found in one main spot. To help protect it, the working group planted more seeds in new areas near the wild site in December 2007.

The 2016 Rediscovery

In September 2016, there was even more good news! Two botanists were doing a wildflower survey in May 2016. They were at the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, which is a park close to Mount Diablo. To their surprise, they found over a million Mount Diablo buckwheat plants blooming on a hillside inside the preserve! Several organizations worked together to keep this discovery quiet until the plants had finished blooming and produced new seeds. This helped ensure the plants were safe before the news was shared.