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Beautiful Buttonbush in Bloom

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Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) in bloom.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis; photo by Stephanie Klepacki).

Have you witnessed the beautiful Buttonbush blooms these last few weeks? They embody the wild bounty of mid-summer.

These uniquely geometric globes of bright white seem to explode from lush ribbons of green along the shoreline of a dazzling blue lake.

Cephalanthus occidentalis is a vastly underappreciated native shrub. I’m puzzled at how often it is overlooked by people who regularly spend time in one of Buttonbush’s favorite habitat types. In particular, it can somehow go unnoticed along the shoreline of Maine’s lakes.

This distant relative of the coffee plant grows in marshes, swamps, wetlands, and borders of streams, lakes, and ponds.

Other common names include "honeyballs", "little snowball", "knuckle brush", "button willow", and "pin ball".

If only one would stop to look. Paddle up to one of these beauties and get up close and personal with their flowers. Zoom in to examine the textures, patterns, and complexity of nature that can be found in one singular bloom.

Buttonbush bloom along the shores of Sebago Lake (photo by Deb Perkins).

Aren’t their spherical flowers incredibly unique?

Their floral display is a daytime fireworks show that lasts for several weeks. I am absolutely enamored by these blooms every summer, without fail.

As you gaze at this blooming beauty, you can celebrate its lasting value to wildlife as well.

Common Buttonbush provides habitat for a wide variety of birds. Red-winged Blackbirds and Virginia Rails nest within its cover in marshy habitats. Wood Ducks will roost and rear their broods among the dense branches, and songbird species use it for feeding, nesting, and cover from predators.

An array of pollinators benefit from the nectar and pollen of its flowers.

Many native bees are attracted to the rich floral resources of these aromatic spheres including bumble bees, small carpenter bees (Ceratina), yellow-faced bees (Hylaeus), metallic green sweat bees (Agapostemon), and large carpenter bees (Xylocopa).

Buttonbush also feeds many species of butterflies, and is a larval host plant for several species of big, showy moths such as the spectacular Promethea Silkmoth (Callosamia promethea).

As we move into late summer and fall the shrubs become richly decorated with ripening capsules (spherical seed heads).

These button-like nutlets will provide high quality food for ducks, geese, and shorebirds.

Buttonbush is a lovely choice for the home landscape and for restoration and rewilding projects.

As I often say: “shrubs are the workhorses of the habitat garden”, so why not add a new, beautiful workhorse to boost biodiversity at home?

A full sun location in wet soil is best, although Buttonbush will also thrive in drier sites where it will be watered periodically either:

  • by yourself during dry spells, or

  • by a downspout, or

  • by runoff in a rain garden that is designed to absorb periodic inundations of water.

Take a look for yourself in the video below!

I filmed this striking specimen at a client's landscape in Biddeford Pool in late July.

Enable captions and put the volume up to hear my voice, and thank you for witnessing the wild with me!

I hope you enjoyed this Phenology Note!

Join me in witnessing the seasons of our wild world.

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#ThePersonalEcologistI partner with eco-minded landowners to create thriving wildlife habitats in their backyards, gardens, fields and farms, woods or campuses - at any scale.I have 25 years of experience in my field, and a lifelong commitment to wi…

#ThePersonalEcologist

I co-create biodiverse habitats with eco-minded stewards throughout the Northeast - at any scale.

I have 30 years of experience and a lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation.

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Deborah Perkins