Maryland Native Plants for Pollinators: Cephalanthus occidentalis – Buttonbush
Maryland Native Plants for Pollinators
Cephalanthus occidentalis – Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis, commonly called buttonbush, is a deciduous shrub with an open-rounded habit. The star of this plant is its unusual blooms- globular heads of small white flowers with a pincushion-like appearance appear in early-to-mid summer. Flowers are followed by “button”-like fruits consisting of two-seeded nutlets, which can persist through fall and winter. Flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Can tolerate flooded conditions, and is a good choice for a rain garden. Buttonbush is a fast-growing shrub that spreads to form thickets by suckering. This plant leafs out later in the spring season has showy fall foliage and is a host plant for 25 species of Lepidoptera
Common Name: buttonbush
Type: Deciduous shrub
Height: 5.00 to 12.00 feet
Spread: 4.00 to 8.00 feet
Bloom Time: June
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize, Rain Garden
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Fruit: Showy
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Erosion, Wet Soil
(Information from Missouri Botanical Garden)
Buttonbush in early fall
Buttonbush flower detail