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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Shrubs & garden character · Western North Carolina field companion

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Cephalanthus occidentalis flowering shoot
Cephalanthus occidentalis flowering shoot☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeAl Riordan ↗ · CC BY 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; complete composition retained.

Outstanding pollinator shrub for rain gardens, pond edges, and consistently wet ground.

Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
Mature Height (ft)
5–12
Mature Width (ft)
4–8
Bloom Season
Summer
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Get to know this plant.

Sun Exposure

Full sun–part shade

Growth Habit

Rounded, multi-stemmed

Mature Height (ft)

5–12

Mature Width (ft)

4–8

More growing details

Bloom Season

Summer

Bloom Color

White spherical

Evergreen / Deciduous

Deciduous

Native Status

NC native

WNC Notes

Outstanding pollinator shrub for rain gardens, pond edges, and consistently wet ground.

Drought Tolerance

Low

Wet-Soil Tolerance

Very high

Deer Resistance

Moderate

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

Cephalanthus occidentalis flowering shoot
Cephalanthus occidentalis flowering shoot☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeAl Riordan ↗ · CC BY 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; complete composition retained.
Cephalanthus occidentalis flowering shoot
Cephalanthus occidentalis flowering shoot☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeAl Riordan ↗ · CC BY 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; complete composition retained.

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