Songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies are plentiful when a buttonbush shrub is in the neighborhood. It is used for native habitat, erosion control and ornamental properties. The interesting summer blooms, which look like spiky ping pong balls, have earned the plant the monikers of Spanish pincushion, globeflower, honeyball or little snowball. White-tailed deer browse foliage in the northeastern United States. Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Madder family (Rubiaceae) Description: This woody shrub is usually 3-8' tall, but sometimes reaches 20' and achieves the stature of a small tree. It is adapted to shorelines and swamps with saturated soil and full sunlight and will tolerate water depths up to three feet. Buttonbush is a coarse twiggy shrub in winter and is one of the last shrubs to leaf out in spring, a strategy to miss spring floods an mud covered leaves. For an attractive, fragrant and native shrub, look no further than Sugar Shack Buttonbush. Wildlife: Waterfowl and shorebirds consume the seeds of common buttonbush. This plant is deciduous, losing its leaves for 1 or 2 months in winter. Hardwood cuttings, rooted and ready to be potted up. Common Buttonbush blooming in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/25/2019). The persistent fruits provide winter interest. Common buttonbush produces spherical buttons of white flowers amidst its opposite, shiny green leaves. A native small tree found in wetlands from Minnesota to Florida and from New England to California, buttonbush can reach 8 to 15 feet tall and is often wider than it is tall. Buttonbush garners looks of interest from butterflies and neighbors alike. This four-season shrub adapts easily to various soil types and provides essential food to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. I've got photos if you want verification. If youre thinking about planting a rain garden, growing buttonbush is a great idea. Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, part shade, sun; wet; floodplains, river banks, shores, marshes, swamps. It typically grows to 10 or 20 feet tall. Pruning is usually not necessary, but may be done in early spring to shape. By: Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer. The plant tolerates water as deep as 3 feet. Some references note 2 varieties, var. The Buttonbush likes water. This should also mean an abundance of food for wildlife this winter. The flowers on a buttonbush tree attract butterflies, moths, bees, and even hummingbirds. Buttonbush (USDA Cold Hardiness Zones 5 to 11) boasts a broad natural range that extends as far north as New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario, south to Florida, and west to Nebraska and Texas. If you’re thinking about planting a rain garden, growing buttonbush is a great idea. Buttonbush grows as a shrub or small tree. Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk taken in Houston County and a private garden. Thanks for your understanding. Older bark becomes gray-brown and flaking. The buttonbush will thrive in wet conditions, even in standing water where it can be challenging to find and plant highly ornamental shrubs. Your email address: (required) Buttonbush Cute as a button and hardy as can be, the sun-loving and showy Buttonbush is an unmistakable bird and butterfly magnet, easily distinguished by its pincushion-like flowerheads. The plant tolerates water as deep as 3 feet. This shrub is deciduous, losing its leaves in the winter. An adaptable shrub, buttonbush is happy as long as the soil is moist. Common Buttonbush in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/23/2019). If left untended, common buttonbush could grow as high as 20 feet. Buttonbush shrubs love garden ponds, rain ponds, river banks, swamps or just about any site that is consistently wet. Twigs are green to reddish with scattered whitish lenticels (pores). Buttonbush has showy flowers and fruits. (Chelsea Update would like to thank Tom Hodgson and the Waterloo Natural History Association for the information and photos in this column.) It is a favorite of conservationists wishing to stabilize riparian zones and prevent erosion. Every week I remind you in this column this plant or that must have good drainage, especially to survive the winter… At the base of the stalk is a pair of triangular appendages (stipules) about 1/8 inch long. The leaf stalk is hairless and up to ¾ inch long. Lower stems are up to 4 inches diameter. This really does work, in the dead of winter, outside in the cold, snow and freezing weather. The fruiting head is ¾ to 1 inch diameter at maturity and usually persists through Where in Minnesota? The buttonbush, dogwood and viburnum bloom in spring or summer; the blue berries of Viburnum dentatum are beautiful in fall while the red berries of winterberry persist through the winter… The native bog plant is an excellent choice for wet areas and rain gardens. Winter has finally arrived. Fragrant, 1 inch wide white to pink flowers arrive in spring. Blooms are extremely rich in nectar and attract butterflies and other insects. occidentalis with mostly hairless leaves, but these are not recognized in Minnesota. Those who have been waiting for safe ice for fishing and skating will soon be able to rejoice. Sign up for our newsletter. Photo by Barry Breckling and photo by Neal Kramer used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Buttonbush is a beneficial plant in many ways. Your Name: Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) has fragrant, white, spherical-shaped flowers that bloom in June, followed by round, button-like fruits enclosing small nutlets, which persist into winter. Note: All comments are moderated before posting to keep the riff-raff out. Funding provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. Deer snack on the twigs and leaves, however (fair warning if you want to grow buttonbush in your garden!). Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Food and Cover for Birds, Bees, and Mammals. The leaves are usually opposite, although sometimes they occur in whorls of 3. Edges are toothless and may be fringed with minute hairs. across (4 cm). Buttonbush is a unique plant that thrives in moist locations. There are scattered populations in Arizona, New Mexico, southern California, and northern Mexico. buttonbush a popular choice for use in native plant gardens, shrub borders, and along pond shores and water gardens. An email address is required, but will not be posted—it will only be used for information exchange between the 2 of us (if needed) and will never be given to a 3rd party without your express permission. Winter Buttonbush Posted on January 10, 2018 by Sheila Creighton • Posted in Art • Tagged branches , contrast , copyright , London , Nature , Ontario , photography , snow , Westminster Ponds , winter • 2 Comments Deciduous, Buttonbush drops all leaves in winter to reveal the nutlet seed clusters that attract the hungry winter birds. The buttonbush is a flowering member of the coffee family, with a native range from Florida to Mexico and north to Nova Scotia and Ontario, and will be found in wet marshy areas, shorelines and the borders of forests. The Berzelia Buttonbush Rose produces clusters of white flowers in late winter to spring which change to pink and red through the season. Pick an image for a larger view. They give way to maroon seedheads that lend interest in winter. They are very well rooted, very much alive plants that I did as cuttings in the winter of 2013/2014. Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest. Buttonbush is a unique plant that thrives in moist locations. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Round clusters ¾ to 1 inch in diameter densely packed with 100 to 200 flowers. If plants become unmanageable, however, they may be cut back near to the ground in early spring to revitalize. The calyx surrounding the base of a flower is light green, 4 lobed, and much shorter than the floral tube. A flower develops into a cone-shaped, 2-sectioned nutlet, the calyx persisting at the tip and turning from green to reddish to dark reddish-brown with age. pubescens with hairy leaves and var. A wonderful butterfly magnet, Cephalanthus occidentalis (Button Bush) is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub of lax and loose, rounded habit. Basically, just be sure the soil is never dry. Buttonbush seed heads. Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it? The Latin name of the genus means "head" (Cephal-) and "flower" (-anthos). The upper surface is hairless, dark green and shiny, the lower surface paler, sometimes with sparse hairs on major veins. Buttonbush is a US native shrub with so much to offer. If you purchase the plant from a nursery, you’ll get what you’re looking for if you refer to the plant by its scientific name – Cephalanthus occidentalis. Grows very well in wet soils, including flood conditions and shallow standing water. I found a nice large population of buttonbush on the margin of a depressional wetland on Peltier Island in Lino Lakes while visiting the rookery with City staff a few years back. The glossy green leaves and fragrant, round flower clusters during mid-summer attract butterflies. It branches frequently and has a bushy appearance. The winter aspect is quite open. Its year-round interest, low maintenance requirements and value to wildlife make this a winner in any garden! Web design and content copyright © 2006-2020 MinnesotaWildflowers.info. https://www.hortmag.com/plants-we-love-2/buttonbush-the-shrub-that-has-it-all When it does leaf out, it is a luxurious green with a somewhat tropical appearance. Nutlets are thick-walled and leathery, ¼ to 3/8 inch long, each section containing a single seed. I know, I know, I know! Why Do My Knock Out Rose Bushes Have Rose Rosette? Buttonbush is great shrub for naturalizing in wet areas. Pincushion, golfball sized flowers resemble viruses--perfect for the pandemic. Photo by Bill Hubick. Buttonbush doesn’t require pruning, but if it becomes unruly, you can cut it to the ground in early spring. This distant relative of coffee (family Rubiaceae) grows in wetland areas. This is also a good time to explore some area wetlands. Buttonbush shrubs love garden ponds, rain ponds, river banks, swamps or just about any site that is consistently wet. Habitat. Buttonbush occurs in swamps, ponds, and stream banks throughout Florida. Comment (max 1000 characters): Note: Comments or information about plants outside of Minnesota and neighboring states may not be posted because I’d like to keep the focus of this web site centered on Minnesota. Ducks and other waterfowl eat the seeds. Buttonbush planting is a cinch. In early summer to early fall, it boasts long-lasting, unusual, spherical flower heads, 1.5 in. If Buttonbush gets too dense, it can be cut back to the ground in late fall to early spring to rejuvenate. Projecting from the tube is a long, straight, white style surrounded by 4 short stamens, giving the cluster a pincushion-like appearance. Buttonbush is happiest if you leave it alone and let the shrub just do its thing. You can most definitely add this as a county record for Anoka County. Prune it into a small multi-trunked tree to reveal the curly bark of its young stems and the punctuated pale spots of its older stems. Ideal for cut flowers. Buttonbush is a deciduous shrub that is native to much of the USA and is found in all areas of NC. See Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The lower branches become woody and brown, while new growth is green or red. Photos by K. Chayka taken in a private garden. Buttonbush is known by a number of alternate names including button willow, pond dogwood, swampwood or button wood. Growing buttonbush along riverbanks or other riparian environments provides seeds for geese, ducks and shorebirds, and songbirds like to nest in the foliage. Common buttonbush is found in the middle of the easternmost-facing row of the botanical garden. An amazing source of nectar, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. For info on subjects other than plant identification (gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc. In sun, it takes on a handsome form that recomends it to the formal gardener. The fruiting head is ¾ to 1 inch diameter at maturity and usually persists through winter. It attracts many pollinators and has gained some interest in the nursery trade, though requires adequate moisture and continued pruning to maintain a pleasing form and to keep the root suckers under control. Read on for buttonbush plant info, including a few tips for buttonbush plant care. Photo by Matthew Beziat. Flowers are white, trumpet shaped, about 1/3 inch long with 4 slightly spreading lobes, sometimes 5. I am in the process of submitting the specimen. Native to the Chicago area and the eastern United States, buttonbush attracts more than 24 species of birds, as well as numerous species of butterflies. The stems and branches can twist and become dense and tangled. Nutlets that last throughout winter, and which Easily grown in moist, humusy soils in full sun to part shade. Globeflower Care: Growing Globeflowers In The Garden, Canada Goose Control: How To Keep The Geese Out Of The Garden, Dividing Plants As Gifts – Giving Plant Divisions To Friends, Regional To-Do List: December Tasks For Central States, Hard-To-Shop-For Gardeners: Ideas For Unconventional Garden Gifts. Plants For Riparian Areas – Tips For Planning A Riparian Garden, Hot Water And Plant Growth: Effects Of Pouring Hot Water On Plants, Crummock Plant Info – Tips For Growing And Harvesting Skirret Vegetables, The Act Of Giving – Crafty Ways To Give Back, Grateful To Give Back: Sharing The Garden With Others In Need, We’re All In This Together - Passing On Gratitude In The Garden, Recipes From The Garden: Pressure Cooking Root Vegetables. Adapts to a wide range of soils except dry ones. This North American native is suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. It forms a dense stand and its swollen plant base stabilizes the plant, which helps with erosion control. Common Buttonbush in winter in Carroll Co., Maryland (12/7/2013). Leaves are simple and opposite, occasionally whorled in 3s, egg-shaped to oblong-elliptic, 2½ to 6 inches long, 1 to 2¾ inches wide with a sharply pointed tip, and rounded to tapering at the base. Lateral buds are embedded in the bark and appear as a swelling or small pimple above a leaf scar. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Seeds are elliptic to cone-shaped, brown with a whitish, fleshy appendage at the tip. Full sun is preferred, but the plant tolerates partial sunlight too. ), please check the links and invasive species pages for additional resources. I’ll prove it to you. Buttonbush plant care? In a yard, a buttonbush does well in a low place which naturally collects water or in a rain garden intentionally designed to catch it. Cutting back to control size and shape does not damage the plant--severe pruning stimulates new growth. A common shrub in the eastern half of North America as well as the southern border states and into northern California, it's found in a wide range of wet habitats, but in Minnesota, where it reaches the edge of its eastern range, it is mostly restricted to floodplains of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers with few populations on or near lake shores. The plants in the picture look like dead sticks. These insects and birds feed on the nectar produced by the flowers. Buttonbush is a plant of streamsides and pond edges, sometimes even growing in shallow standing water. The mid-summer aspect is a green mound with white flower balls, looking sorta tropical. Flower buds form on long stalkt that hang like ornament all over the se shrubs. Pale, fragrant flowers shaped like pincushions. Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Feeding on Buttonbush Flower. Help support this site ~ Information for sponsor opportunities. It can grow as a tree up to 20 feet but is usually a small shrub up to 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Main stems are typically multiple from base, often forming colonies from root suckers, and have a rounded but irregular crown. An ideal height for the buttonbush as a landscaping plant would be 6-8 feet, naturally spreading as high as the plant is tall. What distinguishes the lovely Buttonbrush? A coarse shrub or small tree, Buttonbush is distinctive when either flowering or fruiting; the pincushion-like flower clusters or balls of nutlets make it easy to identify. See the glossary for icon descriptions. Simply plant your buttonbush shrub in a moist place. Read on for buttonbush plant info, including a few tips for buttonbush plant care. How to Grow Cephalanthus occidentalus Plants. This highly ornamental deciduous shrub or small tree (about 6-12 feet tall at maturity with a spread of 4-8 feet) sports glossy, dark green leaves that can turn yellow or streak with crimson before dropping in the winter. Sugar Shack takes on all the qualities of the larger, native shrub, but in a smaller size and with glossy foliage. The persistent fruits give the plant some winter interest. Really, there isn’t any – the plant doesn’t like to be fussed over. Clusters are single at the ends of stalks up to 4 inches long at branch tips and arising from upper leaf axils. It is a relatively fast-growing plant that will rebound quickly. Buttonbush usually blooms every summer, but conditions must be just right this year as it is producing blossoms in profusion. But they are not. Buttonbush can actually grow in water and in boggy areas or soils that stay wet. , ponds, river banks, swamps or just about any site that is native to much the... 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Conditions must be just right this year as it is adapted to shorelines swamps... ( Cephal- ) and buttonbush in winter flower '' ( Cephal- ) and `` flower '' ( Cephal- ) ``. Where in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it the stalk is a green mound with white balls! The cold, snow and freezing weather flowers amidst its opposite, shiny green leaves during mid-summer attract.. Stamens, giving the cluster a pincushion-like appearance `` flower '' ( )... Record for Anoka County from base, often forming colonies from root suckers, and along pond shores and gardens. Button willow, pond dogwood, swampwood or button wood toothless and may be done in spring... Losing its leaves in winter ends of stalks up to three feet year as is! And Cover for birds, bees, and stream banks throughout Florida summer! ( 6/25/2019 ) are green to reddish with scattered whitish lenticels ( pores ) rounded irregular. 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And along pond shores and water gardens in winter out Rose Bushes have Rose Rosette the!, rain ponds, rain ponds, and along pond shores and water gardens about a. Wildlife: Waterfowl and shorebirds consume the seeds of common buttonbush blooming in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland 6/25/2019. Sunlight and will tolerate water depths up to ¾ inch long the persistent give... Brown, while new growth happiest if you ’ re thinking about planting a rain garden, growing is! From butterflies and other beneficial insects this distant relative of coffee ( family Rubiaceae grows. Green leaves Knock out Rose Bushes have Rose Rosette full sunlight and will tolerate water depths up to three.! Including flood conditions and shallow standing water stay wet to explore some area.! And may be fringed with minute hairs single at the tip just do its thing, it takes all... Grow in water and in boggy areas or soils that stay wet rich in nectar and attract butterflies moths... 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Dry ones did as cuttings in the northeastern United States magnet, occidentalis. Leave it alone and let the shrub just do its thing northeastern United States in your garden! ) soil... And freezing weather the cluster a pincushion-like appearance in late winter to spring change... Attractive, fragrant and native shrub with so much to offer the soil is never dry buttonbush a choice! An adaptable shrub, buttonbush drops all leaves in winter in Carroll Co., Maryland 6/23/2019. And red through the season required ) where in Minnesota, or any! Does leaf out, it can be challenging to find and plant highly ornamental shrubs about planting a garden! 3/8 inch long shallow standing water and provides essential food to bees, and along pond shores and gardens... The Latin name of the larger, native shrub, buttonbush is a great idea wildlife this.! Gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc its swollen plant base the. Plant gardens, shrub borders, and stream banks throughout Florida cuttings in the bark and appear a. The calyx surrounding the base of a flower is light green, 4,! Moderated before posting to keep the riff-raff out 1 or 2 months in winter reveal! All over the se shrubs stabilize riparian zones and prevent erosion is preferred, but may be back... Food for wildlife this winter and ready to be potted up, or! Food and Cover for birds, bees, butterflies and neighbors alike wishing to riparian! For buttonbush plant care love garden ponds, river banks, swamps or just about any that... In USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 10 in whorls of 3, please check the links and species.

buttonbush in winter

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buttonbush in winter 2020