Common Buttonbush – Cephalanthus occidentalis
© 2011 Patty Hankins
Every year when I’m photographing the lotus blossoms at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens I’ve seen a really unusual shrub with round clusters of little white flowers. This year, I finally photographed it – and discovered that what I’ve been seeing is Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis).
© 2011 Patty Hankins
What always catches my eye with the buttonbush is the wonderful shape of the blossom balls. The individual flowers are so small that unless you look very closely – you may not realize that it is made up of tiny individual flowers. The protruding pistils add another great dimension to these fascinating flowers.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
Buttonbushes are native to entire Eastern parts of the United States and Canada, and to a few western states. A member of the Rubiaceae family, these shrubs 6 – 12 feet tall. The dark green leaves grow to about 8″ long. The balls of blossoms grow to about the size of a ping-pong ball.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
Buttonbushes have a long history of being used medicinally. The foliage is poisonous and livestock find it unpalatable. Native Americans used buttonbush to treat everything from eye disease & pain to use as a laxative. The Commanche also used the wood to make game sticks.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
It’s always fun to see people’s reactions to buttonbush the first time they see it – they always seem to smile at what looks like a bunch of spiny balls hanging from a tree. 🙂
If you’d like more information about buttonbush, you can find it online at
Kemper Center for Home Gardening
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center