Cephalanthus occidentalis - Buttonbush
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Fun, quirky flowers on these exceptional pollinator powerhouses!
WNC Native alternative to Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Funky nectar-rich white pincushion flowers attract many pollinators in midsummer, such as bees, butterflies (including eastern tiger swallowtails), songbirds, and hummingbirds in a wildlife extravaganza! These low maintenance shrubs love moisture, sun, and some space to work their magic.
Extremely versatile and resilient, they are perfect for a butterfly garden, pollinator garden, children's garden, native garden, rain garden, or water garden. Clump them in groups for the best visual impact.
🦋Feed the Butterflies! Help support Monarchs and other butterflies with rich, healthy nectar! Host plant for over 25 different species, including some fun and funky moths, like the royal walnut moth (Citheronia regalis), titan sphinx (Aellopos titan), and the hydrangea sphinx (Darapsa versicolor).
🐦Help the Birds! In fall, the showy red-brown fruits are packed with seeds, which help attract and feed birds - over 25 different species - including song birds and waterfowl. Ducks enjoy nesting in these plants.
💧Moisture Loving! Fantastic in rain gardens, along stream banks and ponds, and other moist or even boggy areas. They are ideal for streambank restoration projects.
❤️RCN Staff Favorite - we are growing these in our own gardens and love how many butterflies are attracted!
🏆Award Winning! 2023 NC Wildflower of the Year, Award of Garden Merit from the RHS. These plants are on the Xerxes Society Midatlantic Monarch Nectar Plant list (PDF), and their Midatlantic Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects list (PDF).
🦌Deer Resistant: Once established, they can handle whatever deer have to dish out!
Deciduous.
Zones 5a / cold hardy to -20F.
5-8’T x 3-6’W, full to partial sun.
🌿Plant Nerd: These plants are incredibly resilient. A staff member reports that their Button Bush in Buncombe county survived flooding by Hurricane Helene, having 1-2' of silt and garbage dumped on top, and being run over by two different massive pieces of construction equipment.
Native Americans used the bark for a variety of medicinal purposes.
These plants have many names, including Button Bush, Common Buttonbush, Buttonbush, Button Willow, Honey Bells, Honeybells, Honey Balls, Honeyballs, and Button-bush.