PlantsShrubs & Vines

Buttonbush

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Rufino Osorio (also known as Desmodium ) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Buttonbush in flower
In flower · (c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.

Button flowers for wet ground

EasyShrubs & VinesAlso Rain GardenRain garden
Light
Full sun–part shade
Moisture
Moist–wet
Mature size
6–10 ft
Spacing
6–10 ft
Bloom or harvest
Flowers Jun–Aug
How it spreads
Rounded shrub
What to buy
Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
When to plant
Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.

In the design

Provide mature width; prune for access and renewal rather than forcing it into a small space.

Plants that share this spot

More in this group

Reference details
Conservatism value
5
Wetland indicator
OBL