GWCS Arboretum » #21: Buttonbush

#21: Buttonbush

Button Bush
 


Classifications

Common Name:  Buttonbush, also known as Honey-bells, Button-willow

Scientific Name: Cephalanthus occidentalis

Family: Rubiaceae (Coffee Family)

Tree Type: Deciduous Shrub



Growing Conditions 

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Water: Very High

Soil: Prefers wet, mucky soil (flood-tolerant)

Spread: 8–15 ft wide

Height: 6–12 ft tall

Bloom Time: June to August



Leaf Characteristics

Leaf Type: Simple

Leaf Blade: Elliptic to ovate

Leaf Arrangement: Opposite

Leaf Venation Pattern: Pinnate

Leaf Size: 3–6 in





Interesting Facts

Fact #1: Buttonbush is related to plants in the coffee family, so it has distant plant cousins like the coffee plant and the cinchona tree, which is used to make medicine called “quinine”.


Fact #2: Buttonbush gets its name because its flowers look like little white “buttons” or pin cushions. 


Fact #3: Buttonbush contains natural chemicals that can be toxic if eaten, and consuming parts of the plant may cause sickness such as vomiting or other serious reactions. It should not be eaten.