How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Ruby Buckwheat

Lovers of rare plants and superfood ingredients must learn to grow ruby buckwheat! This rare red-flowering buckwheat comes from a high elevation of 12,000 feet in the Himalayan mountains, where indigenous Chinese people have grown it for centuries. It has become widely popularized in Japan and available in the U.S. thanks to rare seed importers. 

This dazzlingly beautiful crop offers nutrient-dense seeds and microgreens. The honey from bees who forage on its vibrant flowers is said to be 100 times more antioxidant-rich than regular honey.

Even if you don’t plan to eat it, this plant is insanely easy to grow and blooms very quickly, often just six weeks after sowing! It makes an incredible ornamental flower, cover crop, or pollinator patch. Once established, it requires very little water and self-sows for another butterfly-magnetizing display next summer. Let’s explore how to cultivate this vibrant annual!

History and Cultivation 

Buckwheat is one of the most ancient grains, with cultivation dating back over 8,000 years. Traditionally, buckwheat is known for its white flowers. Still, in the late 1980s, a Japanese university professor named Akio Ujihara first collected the seeds of a vibrant pink buckwheat while visiting Yunnan, China. He noticed blankets of pink and red covering the high Himalayan mountains at around 12,000 feet elevation. 

The variety was named ‘Takane Ruby’ and nicknamed “ruby red.” It became wildly popular in Japan, eventually gaining international attention in rare seed collections and foodie communities. Cultivation is similar to most other types of buckwheat, requiring warm weather and well-drained soil. 

What is Ruby Red Buckwheat?

Ruby red buckwheat is a rare Himalayan buckwheat with vibrant pinkish-red flowers native to high-elevation areas of Yunnan, China. The warm-weather annual is grown for its nutrient-dense seeds, microgreens, and nectar resources for pollinators. It attracts many butterflies and bees while nourishing the soil with its deep taproots.

The low-maintenance plant is multifunctional and can be grown as a cover crop, cut flower, pollinator patch, or food crop. Honey harvested from bees who feed on buckwheat nectar is exceptionally flavorful and rich in antioxidants.

Is it Gluten-Free?

Despite its misleading name, buckwheat is a gluten-free ancient grain. The plant is unrelated to wheat and does not contain the protein gluten. Sometimes called a “pseudo-grain,” both the seeds (“groats”) and microgreens of buckwheat are easy to digest, providing healthy insoluble fiber and high levels of antioxidants (especially the ‘Takane Ruby’ red-seeded variety).

In Japan, the vibrantly colored seeds are ground into buckwheat flour to make soba noodles. In Russia and Ukraine, buckwheat is a staple food used much like rice. Buckwheat is used in stir-fries and noodle dishes. It can also be prepared similarly to oats or risotto or substituted for buckwheat in any recipe, adding a bright red or pink color.

Propagation

You can grow this buckwheat easily from seed, assuming you can get the rare imported seeds. Once you start growing this beautiful crop, you may want to save your own seeds for future enjoyment.

Seed

Once the weather has thoroughly settled and temperatures are reliably above 45°F, it’s time to sow buckwheat. This frost-tender crop cannot handle chilly weather. It germinates best in soils 70°F or warmer. 

Northern gardeners may start the seeds in cell trays indoors, but it is unnecessary if you are growing it as a cover crop. Thanks to its rapid growth, it flowers within just 6-8 weeks of seeding and produces mature grain in 70-90 days. Even gardeners with ultra-short seasons can enjoy this quick-maturing crop! 

If sowing indoors, note that seedlings are prone to damping off disease if you overwater or lack airflow. Properly thin to one plant per cell and transplant before plants get too large, as described below.

Saving Seed

Rare seeds can get expensive because the seed packets are so small, and the amount of producers growing the varieties is fairly limited. If you fall in love with this plant (how could you not?), saving your own seed is a practical and economical way to ensure a continuous supply. The process is super easy and also allows you to experiment with the grain in your kitchen. However, dehulling the buckwheat for eating requires a special process.

Buckwheat seed tends to mature at different rates because the blooms appear over a period of time rather than all at once. Take note: the plants will self-sow and grow another patch the following year. If you don’t want them to drop seeds in place, harvest the plants when about 75% of the seeds are reddish-brown.

Planting

You can grow it as a directly sown cover crop or start it indoors and transplant it outside if you are concerned about late frosts or inconsistent weather. After all, these rare seeds are precious, and you want to ensure your first stand is a success.

How to Transplant 

Ruby buckwheat seeds can be sown indoors in late spring and should only be kept in their pots until they are 4-5” tall. If the buckwheat gets too large in a container, its taproot may not be able to withstand the transplanting process.

Move your containers onto a protected patio or porch to harden off for a few days. The plants cannot handle cold weather under 45°F, but they may need to acclimate to slightly cooler nights than they had on your windowsill or in the greenhouse.

For each buckwheat seedling, use a hori hori knife or trowel to dig a hole about 1.5 times deeper and wider than the rootball. Gently hold the plant from its base and shimmy its roots out of the container. Place in the hole and backfill, then thoroughly water in. Avoid burying buckwheat too deep. The soil level should be the same as it was in the cell.

Spacing

For cover cropping or ornamental “pink blanket” vibes, ‘Takane Ruby’ does best with about 6” between each plant. For cut flowers, widen the spacing to 12-18” to encourage more branched, bushy plants.

How to Grow

Growing this gorgeous flower and cover crop is very straightforward. As long as it has warm weather and ample sunlight, it will reward you with a striking pink show throughout the summer. 

Light

This Himalayan-native can grow in partial to full sun areas with 6-12 hours of sunlight daily. Plants tend to flower the most in bright sunlight but enjoy afternoon shade in ultra-hot areas.

Don’t plant buckwheat in a spot where it can get shaded out by structures, shrubs, trees, or tall garden crops. Plants grown in too much shade may become leggy and fail to produce the signature flowers.

Water

Consistent moisture is important during the first 1-2 weeks while buckwheat gets established. Once the taproots anchor in and the plants reach about 6” tall, you can cut back on irrigation, only watering during the most intense dry periods.

Ruby buckwheat is drought-tolerant and excels at reaching deep in the soil for water reserves. This is great for improving soil structure and drainage.

Soil

Well-drained sandy loam is ideal for this rare buckwheat, but it can tolerate a range of conditions as long as it isn’t exposed to heavy clay or extreme compaction. If you want to use it to improve your garden soil, give it a nice fluff with a broad fork or digging fork before planting.

This cover crop is great at loosening lower soil layers if it has enough organic matter and aeration to get established. A nice heap of compost is appreciated. Just be sure the compost isn’t too filled with nitrogen-rich manure.

Climate and Temperature

Buckwheat is a warm-weather crop that enjoys temperatures from 50-80°F. It can technically tolerate around 40°F but certainly will not handle any frost. The plants are also a bit wimpy in high heat and should be grown in partial shade in hot climates. 

Fertilizing

Fertilizer isn’t usually necessary for buckwheat unless you’re growing in very poor sandy soils. A small amount of balanced slow-release fertilizer can be useful if it isn’t too high in nitrogen. Like many flowering plants, excessive nitrogen can cause the plant to grow an abundance of foliage at the expense of the desirable blooms.

Maintenance

This low-maintenance crop requires little more than an occasional watering and care at harvest. If used as a cover crop, you want to be sure to terminate it before the seeds mature. Otherwise, your veggie beds will have another big patch of red buckwheat. The best way to terminate is with a mower or loppers to cut the plants off at the base, leaving the roots intact to nourish the soil. 

If you want to establish an ongoing buckwheat patch, let the plants mature and self-sow. This is a great option for anyone establishing pollinator patches or cottage gardens where things can grow more wild.

Varieties

Don’t confuse Ruby red buckwheat with the native red-flowered buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens), a wild herb in California. Growers typically plant these buckwheat cultivars for food and ornamental value. However, they are all in the Polygonaceae (knotweed) family.

‘Takane Red’

Ruby red buckwheat is the original variety from the Himalayan mountains in China. Its blooms are strikingly pink to red and extremely appealing to beneficial insects.

‘Rose Red Soba’

Takano Seed Co. and Professor Ujihara developed this closely related variety of red buckwheat from the original ‘Takane Red’ strain. Their goal was to further adapt the buckwheat to a Japanese climate. This cultivar is perennial in warmer climates. It has the same vibrant pink flowers.

Good Plant Pairings

You can grow buckwheat alongside many plants in your garden for an ornamental aesthetic and insectary habitat.

Vegetables

Buckwheat is a phenomenal companion plant for vegetables of all types. It makes a great soil-improving cover crop in your veggie beds and adds a phenomenal pollinator habitat. Most notably, you can grow red buckwheat along the margins of your veggie beds to attract beneficial insects.

Hoverflies and parasitic wasps cannot get enough of its nectar-rich flowers. These natural predators can aid in pest control throughout your garden.

Marigolds

The dark pink cloud of ruby buckwheat flowers makes a beautiful backdrop to bright yellow marigold flowers, which thrive in similar soil and sunlight conditions.

Phacelia

For the ultimate pollinator patch, phacelia and ruby buckwheat will lure nearly every bee and butterfly to your garden. The contrast of fluffy bluish-purple curled phacelia blossoms and the delicate pinkish-red buckwheat flowers is as beautiful as it is functional. If you raise honeybees, this combo is a must!

Pests and Diseases

Finally, a plant without any pest or disease issues! Thanks to its rarity and resilience, ruby buckwheat has no reported issues with bugs or pathogens.

Plant Uses

Ruby buckwheat is traditionally grown for its gluten-free “pseudo-grains” that are ground into flour for noodles and stir-fries. The dehulling process requires special equipment and processing in a home kitchen, but it is certainly doable if you want a fun DIY project.

In the states, most gardeners grow this pretty flower as a cover crop or pollinator habitat. It is also becoming popular in bouquets. 

Frequently Asked Questions