FNPS Plant Database
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Nomenclature
Common Name:
Synonym(s):
Genus species:
Family:
Rubiaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
Size:
Life Span:
Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
Fruit Color:
Phenology:
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Considerations:
Availability:
Propagation:
Light:
Moisture Tolerance:
Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry
â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡
Stays wet -to- Usually moist, occasional inundation
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or Other Substrate:
Sand, Clay, Loam, Organic
Soil pH:
Suitable to Grow In:
8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11
USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.
Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.
Ecology
Wildlife:
Host plant to several moths including titan sphinx ( Aellopos titan ) and hydrangea sphinx ( Darapsa versicolor ) moths ( https://xerces.org/blog/planting-for-pollinators-button-bush ).
Flowers are very attractive to a variety of insects including butterflies and bees.
Deer browse the foliage. Ducks and other birds including jays, cardinals, nuthatches, titmice, warblers, and mockingbirds consume the seed.
Native Habitats:
Comments:
Ethnobotany:
General Comments:
Noted for it's round satellite "ball" flowers and round "button" fruits. Fragrant.
Sources disagree on salt tolerance of this plant.
Citations:
Connor, Kristina. (2004). Cephalanthus occidentalis : Buttonbush, p. 170-172. In: J. K. Francis (ed.). Wildland shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: vol. 1. Gen. Tech. Rep. IITF-GTR-26. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs_series/iitf/iitf_gtr026.pdf ). Accessed 2026. U.S. Forest Service, San Juan, PR:
Cornell University. (Undated). Woody Plants Database: Cephalanthus occidentalis. ( http://woodyplants.cals.cornell.edu/plant/429
). Accessed 2026. Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+), Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Cephocci ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.
Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.
Hammer, Roger. (2015). Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
North Carolina State Extension. (Undated). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. ( https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ ). North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University, Greensboro, NC.
Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Traas, Pamela. (2001). Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, FL.
University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.
Wheeler, Justin. (2017). Planting for Pollinators: Buttonbush. (Blog post). ( https://xerces.org/blog/planting-for-pollinators-button-bush ). Accessed 2026. Xerces Society, Portland, OR.
Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.
