Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis L.)

Photographic Location: Old Stone Fort State Park in Manchester TN.

Rubiaceae (Madder Family)

When I took this picture, I was holding on to a tree branch with one hand, camera in the other leaning out over the duck river! Lucky to get the picture at all.

Buttonbush is an easy-to-recognize bush that grows in water or moist soil. It is easy to identify because of its flowers and fruits. They are usually seen in marshes, and bordering streams, ponds, and lakes. They also grow in wet woods, thickets, and ditches.

Buttonbush flowers are clustered in white "balls," about 1 1/2 inches wide (ping-pong ball size). When the flowers disappear, they leave brown, button-like fruits filled with seeds. Buttonbush blooms from June to August; fruits stay on the plant from September to October.

For more information about this wildflower, Click Here.

Photographic Location: Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) in Middle TN.

Photographic Location: Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) in Middle TN.