Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

[TessV]

I've had this particular plant for about three years now, and it's finally settled in and growing well. It actually likes wet feet, so it's happy in a low area near the gutter downspout where the ground tends to stay fairly wet all summer, and the bees and butterflies absolutely love it. I've read that a lot of people love the fragrance, but to be honest I've never really noticed much of a fragrance from mine, so I don't know if it's my plant of my sniffer that's the culprit.

 

[claudine]

Hello
It's so weird and pretty! I've never seen a plant like this before. It looks very unique. Is it big?

 

[TessV]

It can get pretty big (12 feet or so tall) and can look sort of spindly and unkempt, but mine is still pretty young so it's only about 4 feet at its tallest partThere's a more compact variety that you can get through some online nurseries, but mine is the plain ol' common variety.

It's really tough and hardy, and does really well in our heat and humidity. The blooms have always reminded me of fireworks.

 

[Marck]

Buttonwillow or Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a most admirable deciduous shrub or small tree for wet areas. Beautiful in its own right, it also offers excellent food and habitat for wildlife.

This member of the Madder Family (Rubiaceae) is widespread in North America extending from Canada down to Nicaragua, as well as the isle of Cuba.

In the U.S., Buttonbush is more common in the mesic eastern states, but there are populations out west as well. This plant always reminds me of my few brief visits to Buttonwillow, California, a small hamlet in the San Joaquin Valley named after an unusual local occurrence of this distinctive shrub.