Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences:	Wet Wet Mesic Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Strongly acid (5.1 – 5.5) Moderately acid (5.6 – 6.0) Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5) Neutral (6.6 – 7.3) Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8) Moderately alkaline (7.9 – 8.4)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 10b
Plant Height:	6 to 12 feet (1.8-3.7m) infrequently to 20 feet. Averages 10 x 10 feet in the wild.
Plant Spread:	4 to 8 feet (1.2-2.4m). Spreads more when in the wild.
Leaves:	Deciduous
Fruit:	Showy Edible to birds
Fruiting Time:	Late summer or early fall Fall Late fall or early winter
Flowers:	Showy Fragrant
Flower Color:	White Other: Pale Yellow
Bloom Size:	1"-2"
Flower Time:	Summer Late summer or early fall
Suitable Locations:	Bog gardening
Uses:	Provides winter interest Erosion control Water gardens Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Birds Butterflies Hummingbirds Other Beneficial Insects: moths
Resistances:	Deer Resistant Flood Resistant Humidity tolerant
Toxicity:	Leaves are poisonous Other: Foliage is toxic to humans and livestock.
Propagation: Seeds:	Sow in situ Other info: seeds will germinate promptly without treatment
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Stem Cuttings: Tip Other: softwood cuttings in late July-Aug root easily
Pollinators:	Various insects
Containers:	Not suitable for containers
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil Monoecious
Conservation status:	Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:

Common names

Buttonbush
Common Buttonbush
Honey Bells
Button Bush
Honeyball
Western Buttonbush
Button Willow

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by molanic

Location: Florida
Date: May
credit: Bob Peterson

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, USA
Date: 2013-06-23
Each individual flower is tiny.

Uploaded by greene

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-08-20

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: IL
Date: 2015-07-14
#Pollination Grapeleaf Skeletonizer (Harrisina americana) Moth

Uploaded by molanic

Location: IL
Date: 2016-07-08
#Pollination Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) Moth on Butto

Uploaded by molanic

Location: Tyler State Park, Tyler, TX
Date: 2021-07-28

Uploaded by dave

Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: August 22, 2022
Buttonbush #312; RAB page 979, 173-2-1; AG p. 234; LHB page 928,

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by molanic

Location: Fairfax, VA | July, 2022
Date: 2022-07-05
Cyanotype. Yes, it's on a photograaphy book.

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: B. Everett Jordan Dam/lake park Chatham county, North Carolina
Date: 2023-09-25
Bachelor's button #256 and #5 fg; RAB page 1039, 179-24-1; AG p.

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Denver Botanic Gardens
Date: 2020-01-28

Uploaded by thegardendeva

Location: Jefferson County, Texas
Date: 2016-05-31
#Pollination

Uploaded by Horntoad

Location: Los Angeles Arboretum, Arcadia, California
Date: 2014-05-18

Uploaded by Kelli

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: August 21, 2023
Buttonbush #312; RAB page 979, 173-2-1; AG p. 234; LHB page 928,

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Date: 2016-07-10

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: Ripley, WV
Date: 2010-07-18
With Spicebush Swallowtail

Uploaded by mellielong

Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-08-20
#Pollination

Uploaded by nativeplantlover

Uploaded by Lucichar

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2010-08-13

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Date: 2017-07-05

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: August 21, 2022
Buttonbush #312; RAB page 979, 173-2-1; AG p. 234; LHB page 928,

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by admin

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2023-07-07

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Pinckney Recreation Area, MI
Date: 2014-08-10
Growing wild.

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Pinckney Recreation Area, MI
Date: 2014-08-10
Growing wild along the shore.

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by threegardeners

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-08-20
#pollination

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Fairfax, Virginia (May 2022)
Date: 2022-05-25

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-07-06

Uploaded by nativeplantlover

Location: Pedernales falls state park, Johnson city, Texas
Date: 2023-07-05

Uploaded by christinereid54

Location: Saint Augustine, FL
Date: July
Blooming in July in a nature preserve along the FL coast. Directl

Uploaded by SummerStorm93

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-08-20

Uploaded by nativeplantlover

Location: Fort Worth Nature Center.
Date: Summer 2010
This plant is a must have for the butterfly garden.

Uploaded by frostweed

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by molanic

Location: IL
Date: 2015-07-16
In wettest part of rain garden - with joe pye weed, common milkw

Uploaded by molanic

Location: E. Bandera Co., Texas
Date: June 2013
Buttonbush blooming by a creek

Uploaded by LindaTX8

Location: Blinky Lee Land Preserve in southeast PA
Date: 2019-01-31
looking at bark inside shrub

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by molanic

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: Wet area in our yard, near Central Iowa
Date: 2015-09-28
Base of the trunk

Uploaded by Chillybean

Location: Pinckney Recreation Area, MI
Date: 2015-07-18
Growing wild along the shore.

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2010-08-06

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Southmont, NC
Date: 06/20/20
In High Rock Lake at the water's edge.

Uploaded by WhistlingWisteria

Uploaded by Kelli

Uploaded by Kelli

Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2015-02-13
covered in snow

Uploaded by gardengus

Location: Downingtown Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-12-23
large specimen at pond edge

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: all photos from my garden
Date: 2014-07-25

Uploaded by poisondartfrog

Uploaded by wormgirl

Location: Wet area in our yard, near Central Iowa
Date: 2015-09-28

Uploaded by Chillybean

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Montreal Botanical Garden
Date: 2016-07-04

Uploaded by sooby

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by threegardeners

Location: Downingtown Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-12-23
trunks and bark

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by nativeplantlover

Location: IL
Date: 2018-07-04
Just loaded with blooms and covered with tiny pollinators.

Uploaded by molanic

Uploaded by nativeplantlover

Location: Indiana Zone 5
Date: 2012-07-25

Uploaded by gardengus

Location: Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, PA
Date: 2016-06-15
full-grown shrub in summer near pond

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-09-04
a mass planted in gulley along a parking lot

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-01
a wild shrub along a pond

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Romeoville, Illinois
Date: 2012-08-20
mature shrub planted at a history museum

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: in a bog near Indiana Dunes State Park
Date: 2016-07-16
a mature wild plant in bloom

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Tyler Arboretum in southeast PA
Date: 2014-09-29
the trunks of a very old and big specimen

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Blinky Lee Land Preserve in southeast PA
Date: 2019-01-31
a few shrub along a creek

Uploaded by ILPARW

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by mellielong (Lutz, Florida - Zone 9b) on Apr 17, 2015 8:54 PM concerning plant:

This plant nearly always grows in wetlands or moist areas. In Florida, that usually means swamps and wetlands, but in West Virginia I've seen it growing right on the edge of a small lake. Wherever I've seen it, it is an absolute butterfly magnet. It attracts the larger Swallowtails, the smaller Skippers, and everything in between. It generally blooms in May in Florida, but when I visited West Virginia it was blooming in July.

Reply to this comment
Posted by mmolyson (Lilburn, GA - Zone 7b) on Jun 22, 2020 9:41 AM concerning plant:

This wonderful shrub resists most things except beavers. If yours is in a wetland or near a river like mine and you do not have one to spare consider wrapping the trunk with hardware cloth. I lost my only one to the beaver family which was expanding. I certainly don't mind sharing other hardwoods that I have in abundance, but my ONLY buttonbush? That's just mean. They also took one of my two Eastern red cedars, but it is coming back strong from the stump, thank goodness for good root systems!

Reply to this comment
Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Apr 22, 2012 7:32 PM concerning plant:

Honey bees get nectar from this plant which produces a light amber honey.

Reply to this comment
Posted by sedumzz (Fairfax VA - Zone 7a) on Dec 8, 2021 2:28 PM concerning plant:

This shrub grows well near ponds, rivers, and lakes.

In a garden area these grow up to 4-5 feet tall, but sometimes, without pruning in the wild can end up 6-7-8 feet tall.

If you find leaves curled over like a burrito, it might be a catepillar. (Pollinator butterfly ones..... I forgot what butterfly the Buttonbush hosted)

Reply to this comment
Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Nov 30, 2017 4:09 PM concerning plant:

A nice native shrub usually of medium to large size with stout twigs and stems. It has a large range from Southeast Canada and Maine down all through Florida to east Texas up to southern Minnesota; plus some areas in northern Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, and California; growing in swamps, bogs, along watercourses, along ponds and lakes, and bottomlands in acid or alkaline soils. Grows about 1.5 feet/year. Shallow, fibrous root system and is easy to transplant. Offered by some large, diverse nurseries and native plant nurseries, but not common in most yards or landscapes, unless naturalistic ones or planted in land preserves.

Reply to this comment
Posted by gardengus (Indiana Zone 5b) on Jul 26, 2014 5:27 AM concerning plant:

Successfully grown from seed using the winter sown method.
Produced white ''buttons'' 2nd year and is 4 ft tall and covered in blooms this (3rd) year
Very attractive to butterflies and many other insects.
I noticed that all the leaves fell within 6 hours after our first frost.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
Chillybean	On September 26, 2015	Obtained plant Put in the ground in our wet area.
MunchkinsMom	On April 2, 2016	Miscellaneous Event About 15" tall, leafing out
MunchkinsMom	On November 4, 2015	Transplanted Front Half Moon Area
MunchkinsMom	On November 2, 2015	Obtained plant Dogwooderitternet eBay $5.95 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" Pot 5" or 6" Dormant
piksihk	On November 17, 2015	Obtained plant wildflowers - seeds
WebTucker	On August 22, 2022	Bloomed

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Cephalanthus Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

Cephalanthus
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)