Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Buttonbush is a showy shrub with flowers that attract many native bees (illinoiswildflower.info). Buttonbush is recommended as a monarch nectar source (Xerces.org) and is recommended as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). Mammalian herbivores usually avoid the consumption of Buttonbush because it is poisonous. It can tolerate flood conditions and shallow standing water for short periods of time but does not do well in dry soils. Since it is tolerant of very wet soils, it is an ideal candidate for a rain garden or wetland restoration project.
Photo credit: USDA
Buttonbush is a showy shrub with flowers that attract many native bees (illinoiswildflower.info). Buttonbush is recommended as a monarch nectar source (Xerces.org) and is recommended as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). Mammalian herbivores usually avoid the consumption of Buttonbush because it is poisonous. It can tolerate flood conditions and shallow standing water for short periods of time but does not do well in dry soils. Since it is tolerant of very wet soils, it is an ideal candidate for a rain garden or wetland restoration project.
Photo credit: USDA
Buttonbush is a showy shrub with flowers that attract many native bees (illinoiswildflower.info). Buttonbush is recommended as a monarch nectar source (Xerces.org) and is recommended as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). Mammalian herbivores usually avoid the consumption of Buttonbush because it is poisonous. It can tolerate flood conditions and shallow standing water for short periods of time but does not do well in dry soils. Since it is tolerant of very wet soils, it is an ideal candidate for a rain garden or wetland restoration project.
Photo credit: USDA
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Wet, Medium-wet
Height: Up to 12 feet
Plant Spacing: 3-5 feet
Bloom Time: June-August
Bloom Color: White
Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant
Host Plant: 21 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
