Cephalanthus occidentalis

Common Names

Buttonbush, Common Buttonbush, Button Willow, Button Bush, Honey Bells, Globe Flowers, Globe-Flowered Bush, Pond Dogwood, White Pond-Dogwood, Swamp Globeflower, Little Snowballs

Summary

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a native North American, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub with a rounded habit that typically grows 6 to 12 feet tall and wide. It features dense spherical heads of creamy white, fragrant flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and after flowering forms hard ball-like fruits that persist into winter. It prefers full sun to partial shade and consistently moist to wet soils, tolerating shallow standing water and resisting drought only after establishment; it is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 11. Uses include erosion control along water features and providing wildlife habitat and nectar for pollinators; propagation is by seed or cuttings.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-12 feet

Spread

6-12 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Sun and Partial Shade

Soil Type

Moist to wet, fertile, humus-rich soil; adaptable to clay, loam, and sand, with neutral to slightly acidic pH.

Soil Drainage

Moist to wet soil; tolerates standing water and periodic flooding

Soil pH

6.0-8.0

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Summer (June through September).

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast-growing

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, birds