Poor drainage areas can be a gardener’s nightmare. But here’s a shrub that will take wet soils in stride and offer bright, unusual flowers to boot. Buttonbush is a deciduous shrub that thrives in moist to wet soils, and it can even handle standing water. Use it along a stream bank for erosion control, in a rain garden, or around a pond. In short, this shrub loves any area with poor drainage. The white, globe-like flowers are very showy and appear June through September, gracing the garden with their delicate fragrance and unusual protruding hair-like spikes that make the flowers reminiscent of pincushions. The plant’s reddish-brown fruits are also showy and last into winter.
Conditions: Full to part shade; moist to wet, rich soils
Size: 5’-8’ tall, 3’-6’ wide
Zone: 5 - 9
Wildlife Value: Provides cover for birds and small mammals; flowers attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies including Eastern Tiger Swallowtails; songbirds eat the seeds
Photos: David Korbonits