Light. Grows in full sun to partial shade.
Water. Keep the soil moist with regular watering, especially on drier sites. It takes occasional flooding with fresh water, which suits pond and lake edges.
Soil and feeding. It grows in sand, loam, clay or organic soils, from slightly acidic to limey. Salt tolerance is low, so keep it away from salt spray and brackish water.
Size. Usually kept at about 6 ft. Left alone it reaches about 10 ft with a 6–8 ft spread.
Pruning. Prune to keep it smaller and more manageable in the landscape.
Problems to watch. No significant pest or disease problems are reported.
Good to know. A Florida native of marshes, swamps and floodplains. Flowers from March through August draw hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, and it hosts titan and hydrangea sphinx moths. The leaves are poisonous to people and livestock, and dried leaves may be poisonous to pets.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Buttonbush · Florida Native Plant Society Plant Database: Cephalanthus occidentalis
