PlantFiles: Buttonbush, Honey Bells, Honeyball, Button Willow
Cephalanthus occidentalis

Very interesting flower. It has finished blooming here already so it is an early summer blooomer for us. Mine are several years old in partial shade and fairly dry soil; perhaps that is why they are only 3' tall.

Buttonbush is a native deciduous shrub or sometimes a small tree with an open, rounded habit which is found growing in moist soils in full sun to part shade. It flourishes in wet soils which includes flood conditions and shallow standing water. Typically, buttonbush inhabits swamps, lowland woods, wet open areas, thickets, upland sink-holes and/or ponds, river bottomland and stream/pond margins. It is adaptable to various soils as long as they are wet. The specimen shown in the photos I posted is growing in the Texas hill country in Blanco County in a drainage area where water accumulates.

The 3 to 6 inches long, opposite or whorled (in 3's or 4's along the stem), elliptical leaves have a pointed tip. They have entire margins and are shiny. The bark is thin and smooth on young stems and becomes fissured and scaly as it ages. Its dark reddish brown twigs are thin to moderately stout and are speckled with lighter, elongated lenticels. The twig tips usually die back. Identification includes observing the lateral buds which are small and embedded in the bark and the leaf scars which are "D"-shaped or can be almost round with a single "U"-shaped bundle scar. Normally unnecessary, pruning may be done in early spring to shape the plant. If the plant becomes a bit scraggly (usually during a drought), cut it to almost ground level in early spring preferably before the leaves bud out. Its is useful for naturalizing in woodland areas, native plant gardens, pond margins and low spots. May also be grown in shallow water at the edge of ponds or large water gardens.

The small, 5-lobed, fragrant, white, tubular flowers occur in a dense, round, 1 inch across cluster at the end of a slender 1 to 2 inch stalk. They usually appear in mid-summer and are attractive to bees and butterflies. Ball-shaped fruits which persist throughout the winter are produced and are composed of many tiny two-seeded nutlets.

Buttonbush is suitable for naturalizing in woodland areas, pond margins, shallow water at the edge of ponds, native plant gardens and areas where water stands. It is an attractive and fragrant plant that may also be grown in large water gardens.

Update: July, 2008
I observed several buttonbush plants growing on a small, almost solid limestone cliff overlooking Medina Lake in Medina County, Texas. Due to severe drought conditions, the lake front was quite a distance from the cliff. The plants were thriving despite not receiving rain for quite some time nor any supplemental water.

American Indians chewed the inner bark for toothaches and used bark tea as a wash for eye inflations.

This shrub is tolerant of many soil conditions. It does well in full sun to partial shade lighting. It is recommended for growing in Oklahoma.

This shrub is loved by butterflies and will be covered by them. Plant them where you want to keep them - the shrubs cannot be dug up because they have an extra-deep trunk root system.

A native shrub that is suitable for bogs and wetland areas. The most notable feature of the plant is its unique flowers, which resemble a pincushion and are honey-scented.