1. Guides
  2. Murfreesboro Indigenous Plant Project (MIPP) Guide
  3. Buttonbush

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Summary 5

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), also known as button-willow and honey-bells, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to eastern and southern North America.

Description 5

Buttonbush is a deciduous shrub or small tree that averages 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in height, but can reach 6 m (20 ft). The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, elliptic to ovate, 7–18 cm (2.8–7.1 in) long and 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) broad, with a smooth edge and a short petiole. The flowers are arranged in a dense spherical inflorescence 2–3.5 cm (0.79–1.38 in) in diameter on a short peduncle. Each flower has a fused white to pale yellow four-lobed corolla forming a long slender tube connecting to the sepals. The stigma protrudes slightly from the corolla. The fruit is a spherical cluster of achenes (nutlets).

For more information, visit the buttonbush pages at MissouriBotanicalGarden.org and wildflower.org.

Distribution and Habitat 5

The species occurs in eastern North America with disjunct populations occurring in the west. In Canada, it occurs from southern Ontario and Quebec east to New Brunswick and south-western Nova Scotia. Besides the eastern United States and eastern regions of the Midwest, notable areas range into Arizona, the Mogollon Rim, and other mountain ranges.

Buttonbush is a common shrub of many wetland habitats in its range, including swamps, floodplains, mangrove, pocosin, riparian zones, and moist forest understory. It is a member of the flora in the Everglades.

Ecology/Wildlife Use 5

Waterfowl and other birds eat the seeds. Wood ducks utilize the plant as nest protection, and mallards eat the fruit. Deer browse the foliage, which is poisonous to livestock. Insects and hummingbirds take the nectar, with bees using it to make honey. It is a larval host to the hydrangea sphinx, the royal walnut moth, and the titan sphinx.

Growing Buttonbush 6

Buttonbush is cultivated as an ornamental plant for a nectar source or 'honey plant' and for aesthetics in gardens and native plant landscapes, and is planted on slopes to help control erosion. Buttonbush is a suitable shrub for butterfly gardens and rain gardens.

Read More 7

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cephalanthus_occidentalis_Guzikowiec_zachodni_2020-08-07_02.jpg
  2. (c) দিব্য দত্ত, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cephalanthus_occidentalis_(%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%80_%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%AE_%E0%A7%A7).jpg
  3. (c) দিব্য দত্ত, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cephalanthus_occidentalis_(%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%80_%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%AE_%E0%A7%A8).jpg
  4. (c) Ryan Hodnett, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buttonbush_(Cephalanthus_occidentalis)_-_MacGregor_Point_Provincial_Park_05.jpg
  5. Adapted by Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalanthus_occidentalis
  6. Adapted by Lauren LeCroy May from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalanthus_occidentalis
  7. Adapted by Lauren LeCroy May from a work by (c) Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Form Shrub, Tree - small
Light Full sun, Part sun
Soil moisture Medium, Wet
Site Wetland
Bloom period June, July, August
Bloom color White, Yellow
Fruit/seeds/etc. Other
Wildlife supported Birds - hummingbirds, Insects - pollinators
Family Coffees; bedstraws; allies
Member of the iNaturalist Network   |   Powered by iNaturalist open source software |   Documentation for developers