Quercus

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Care

  • Keep the soil consistently moist to wet.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

25CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Cephalanthus

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Cerma cerinthaTufted Bird-Dropping Moth, Cherry Agate
  • Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
  • Darapsa versicolorHydrangea Sphinx
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Eudryas grataBeautiful Wood-Nymph
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Show all 25
  • Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Ledaea perditalisLost Owlet, 3-Stripe Cephalanthus caterpillar, Buttonbush Owlet
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • Melanomma auricinctariaGold-Lined Melanomma
  • Mompha cephalonthiellaButtonbush Leafminer
  • Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Papaipema furcataAsh-Tip Borer
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Xylophanes tersaTersa Sphinx
  • Mompha solomoni
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
23BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Cephalanthus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cephalanthus

  • Aix sponsaWood Duck
  • Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Beetles 1
  • Trichius piger

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 9
  • Eristalis latifrons
  • Eristalis tenax
  • Musca domestica
  • Physocephala texana
  • Physocephala tibialis
  • Scepsis fulvicollis
  • Sphaerophoria cylindrica
  • Volucella evecta
  • Volucella vesiculosa

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 14
  • Anosia plexippus
  • Argynnis cybele
  • Atrytone delaware
  • Cercyonis alope
  • Limochores taumas
  • Papilio asterias
  • Phyciodes tharos
  • Pontia protodice
  • Thanaos juvenalis
  • Thorybes bathyllus
Show all 14
  • Vanessa atalanta
  • Vanessa cardui
  • Vanessa huntera
  • Zerene caesonia

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 2
  • Leionotus arvensis
  • Sphex nigricans

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Rubiaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5–9
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Fall
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Buttonbush

Conservation status

Kentucky rankS5
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources