Cephalanthus occidentalis

Scientific Name: Cephalanthus occidentalis

Common Name: button bush

Native Range: North America

Zone: 5 to 9

Plant type & Form: Deciduous shrub with an open-rounded habit

Height: 5.00 to 12.00 feet

Spread: 4.00 to 8.00 feet

Bloom Time: June

Bloom Description: White

Flower: Tiny, tubular, 5-lobed, fragrant white flowers in dense, spherical, long-stalked flower heads – projecting styles give the flower a pincushion-like appearance

Fruit: Hard, spherical, ball-like fruits consisting of multiple, tiny, two-seeded nutlets

Leaf: Ovate, to elliptic glossy bright green leaves in pairs or whorls (up to 6″ long)

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium to wet

Soil type & pH: Grows well in wet, humusy soils and can tolerate standing water

Maintenance: Low

Suggested Use: Naturalize, rain garden

Tolerates: Erosion, wet soil

Notes: The flowerheads attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other insect pollinators.

Identification notes: Look for a multi-stemmed shrub in wet areas. Mature plants typically have twisted trunks. The leaves are usually arranged oppositely or in whorls of 3. The plant has white, spiky flower balls and button-like red fruit.