buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Buttonbush is a fun shrub that grows in wet areas. It has round, fluffy flowers that look like little buttons and attract many butterflies and bees!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The buttonbush has unique spherical, creamy-white flower heads that look like pincushions, making it stand out. Its glossy green leaves are oval-shaped and arranged opposite or in whorls along reddish-brown stems.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderGentianalesFamilyRubiaceaeGenusCephalanthus

buttonbush

Interesting facts

Early American settlers sometimes used buttonbush bark to make yellow dye!

Its flower heads are actually made of hundreds of tiny, individual white flowers!

Many birds and ducks, like mallards, love to eat the buttonbush's seeds.

The unique fruits are small, hard nutlets that can stay on the plant all winter.

Special abilities

Buttonbush can grow directly in standing water thanks to adaptations in its roots that prevent rotting and allow it to breathe.

Buttonbush's fragrant, globe-like flowers are a super magnet for many pollinators, drawing them in for nectar.

Buttonbush seeds can float on water, allowing them to travel far and colonize new wetland areas for reproduction.

Measurements & details

Height: 100-300 cm
Spread: 100-300 cm
Flower Size: 2-4 cm
Bloom Season: Summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: Mild
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Honey bee

Apis mellifera

Collects nectar and pollen.

pollinates

Monarch butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Feeds on nectar.

eaten by

Mallard duck

Anas platyrhynchos

Consumes its seeds.

eaten by

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Feeds on roots and bark.

shelters

Green tree frog

Hyla cinerea

Uses plant for cover.

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Cluster Flower

Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Summer Blooming

Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.