Kind:

Latin Name: Cephalanthus occidentalis

Common Name: Buttonbush

Type: Deciduous shrub

Height: 5 to 12 feet

Spread: 4 to 8 feet

Wildlife Benefits: Waterfowl and shorebirds consume the seeds of common buttonbush. White-tailed deer browse foliage in the northeastern United States. Wood ducks use the plant’s structure for protection of brooding nests. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are attracted to common buttonbush for its nectar. Bees use it to produce honey.

Origin of species:  Eastern and Southern North America

Cultivars: Sputnik buttonbush,(Cephalanthus occidentalis 'Bieberich' & ‘Sugar Shack’ , about half the size and just an beneficial.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Wet to medium; great for a rain garden. Grows very well in wet soils, including flood conditions and shallow standing water. Adapts to a wide range of soils except dry ones

Zone: 5 to 9

Care:

Plant: Plant in moist soil most anytime; as a native, you may get volunteers with enough water around.

Fertilizer/pH: 4.8 to 7.2

Groom/Prune: None necessary

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems.

Propagation: Take the cutting from the end of a terminal stem—one with a bud at the tip— from 2 to 6 inches long that includes at least one node, a swelling on the stem where leaves and buds emerge.

Cut with your clean blade just below a node.(Note: don’t use clippers; they will crush the stem.) Cutting first thing in the morning ensures that the shrub is at its most hydrated. Remove all but the uppermost leaves on the cutting.

Pour the rooting hormone into a cup to avoid contaminating the entire bottle of hormone. Dip the raw end of the cutting into the hormone. Make a small hole with your finger for each cutting in the dampened perlite-peat mix filling the pots or tray. The hole helps prevent knocking off the hormone. Firm the soil mix around the cuttings and place them in indirect light. Keep the cuttings moist until they root.

Comments:

I’ve not grow buttonbush since I don’t have a stream, ditch, or even a rain garden. One day I might add this great wildlife beneficial shrub, but for now, all my rain water is directed to feed fruits.