Snetsinger Butterfly Garden
  • Home
  • Visit
  • Volunteer
  • Butterfly Directory
  • Birds of the SBG
  • Plant Directory
  • Activities
  • Support the Project
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Master Gardener Projects
SBG KS

Host With the Most: Buttonbush

3/29/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Some hosts really know how to lay out a banquet, and buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is one of them. Its alternate common name, ‘honey ball’, is a clue to the allure it holds for pollinators. The unique, Sputnik-shaped white flowers are a veritable fountain of pollen and nectar for many butterflies and bees. Blooming throughout the summer, it draws the attention of people and pollinators alike, and is an excellent native alternative to butterfly bush (Buddleia).
When the blooms are spent, they transform into round red seed heads (or ‘buttons’), which contain pairs of nutlets that are eagerly sought by birds and other wildlife. And the leaves of this deciduous shrub are host to the striking hydrangea sphinx moth (Darapsa versicolor) https://bugguide.net/node/view/5367 and Titan sphinx moth (Aellopos titan).
Button bush loves wet feet, and can even withstand flooding. It’s tolerant of all soil types and grows in sun or shade (though blooms will be more abundant in a sunny location). It quickly grows to its mature height of 6-8 feet, and can be pruned right down to the ground in spring to control any tendency towards legginess.
This undemanding and rewarding native really is a host with the most!
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: MaryAnne@Adobe Stock
Snetsinger Butterfly Garden Knowledge Series
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    October 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020

    Categories

    All
    Bugs
    Invasive Plants And Bugs
    Knowledge Series
    Seeds And Planning
    Sights And Sounds
    Spotted Lantern Fly

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly