| Scientific Name: | Cephalanthus occidentalis |
| Common Name: | button bush |
| Family Name: | Rubiaceae |
| Origin: | Canada - eastern, Central America, Mexico, U.S. - northeast, U.S. - southwest |
| Hardiness Zone: | Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C) |
| Plant Type: | Shrub - deciduous, Tree - deciduous |
| Mature Size: | 2 - 3m x 2 - 3m (height x width) |
| Habit: | Upright |
| Form: | Irregular, Round |
| Texture: | Coarse |
| Landscape Uses: | Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Mixed shrub border, Small garden/space, Summer interest, Winter interest |
| Exposure: | Full sun, Part sun/part shade |
| Soil or Media: | Bog, Humus rich |
| Leaves: | Simple, Opposite, Whorled, Soft flexible, Pinnate venation, Glabrous, Lustrous, Elliptic, Ovate, Entire |
| Flowers: | Flowers clustered, White, Jul-Aug |
| Fruit: | Achene, Brown, Sep-Oct, (Persistent) |
| Key ID Features: | |
| Leaves opposite or whorled, ovate-elliptic, most blades 7-13cm long x 4-6cm wide; spikes round, 1.5-2.5cm wide on peduncule 2.5-5cm long, florets white, funnelform, 1-1.5cm long x ~2mm wide (~4 mm wide if seen with petals tips spread apart), long protuding style, late summer. Winter ID: twigs reddish, glabrous, rounded; buds lacking scales,<1 wide and 0.2-2mm above a round leaf scar with a prominent bundle scars in centre; remnants of stipules. | |