| Common Name: |
Buttonbush |
| Scientific Name: |
Cephalanthus occidentalis |
| Other Name(s): |
Aka Common Buttonbush, Honey Bells, Honeyball, Button Bush, Western Buttonbush, Button Willow |
| Category: |
Shrub |
| Habit: |
Deciduous |
| Bloom Color: |
White |
| Bloom Size: |
1 1/2 in. diameter |
| Bloom Shape: |
Tiny, tubular, 5-lobed, appear in dense, spherical, long-stalked flower heads (to 1.5 in. diameter). Long, projecting styles give the flower heads a distinctively pincushion-like appearance |
| Bloom Season: |
Early to mid-summer |
| Fruit Description: |
Flower heads mature into hard spherical ball-like fruits consisting of multiple tiny two-seeded nutlets. Fruiting heads usually persist throughout the winter |
| Foliage Description: |
Ovate to elliptic glossy bright green leaves (to 6 in. long) are in pairs or whorls. Leaves emerge late in spring |
| Height of Plant: |
5-12 ft. |
| Spread of Plant: |
4-8 ft. |
| Hardiness: |
USDA Zones 5 - 9 |
| Light Requirements: |
Full sun to part shade |
| Water Usage: |
High |
| Moisture Requirement(s): |
Adapts to a wide range of soils except dry ones |
| Soil Type: |
Sand, loam, clay, limestone |
| Soil pH: |
Neutral to acidic |
| Native Range: |
Swamps, around ponds and margins of streams throughout the state |
| Usage: |
Attracts birds and butterflies |
| Maintenance: |
Low |
| Photographer: |
Jon Wooten |
| Location: |
Native Plant Garden |