Common Buttonbush

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Partial Sun

(3 - 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

5 - 12 Feet

Mature Spread

4-8 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

Unique, eye-catching blooms that are a draw for butterflies make the Common Buttonbush or Cephalanthus occidentalis a remarkable addition to a landscape. The flowers look like spiky white orbs that hover near the greenery. In reality, each bloom consists of tiny, sweet-scented tubular flowers. Each spherical flower is about 1.5 inches across. The flowers are offset by large oval, glossy green foliage.

This native plant is well-loved by pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds. Larger birds enjoy the seed pods that dangle from the branches during the fall and winter. Common Buttonbush is an upright, deciduous plant with a multi-branched and open structure. This plant thrives in damp conditions, so feature it in beds and borders, especially near bogs, streams, or naturally wet areas. Grow this shrub as a perennial in USDA zones 5 through 8.

Common Buttonbush Care

Plant in full sun in rich, moist soil. Common Buttonbush can grow in shallow standing water; however, the soil should promote drainage while also being neutral to acidic. Keep the soil constantly damp, and watering is unnecessary when grown in a naturally wet area.

Buttonbush is not a heavy feeder, although a light application of balanced fertilizer in the spring will get this perennial off to a good start. This plant does not require much pruning but shape as needed during the early spring.

Common Buttonbush Spacing

Common Buttonbush is an upright shrub that reaches 5 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. Plant shrubs 4 to 6 feet apart for a dense mass planting.