Wyeth buckwheat might be our most robust buckwheat. It's a subshrub that forms island-like colonies in our prairies and rangelands, but it's susceptible to over-grazing and invasive weeds, so it would be great to get it established more widely in cultivated settings.
 
This species is common on the hills behind the nursery, so I've enjoyed watching it transition through the seasons. Soft greenish and silver leaves emerge from dormant crowns and woody stems in the spring, and in the summer, after the balsamroots are done, it produces tall, open umbrella shaped flower heads whose blooms fade to reddish orange. In the fall, the foliage is a mix of silver, pale orange, and pink.
 
It absolutely wants well drained soil and full sun, and will need very little water once established. Give this species some room to be a centerpiece, and avoid pairing with rhizomatous plants which will 'invade' the colony (unless you love that look). Instead, pair with bunchgrasses, spring ephemerals (like clarkia and beeplant), and clumping perennials like shaggy fleabane, blanketflower, and sticky cinquefoil.