Practical
Plants

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Button Bush

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Cephalanthus genus in the family Rubiaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rubiaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Spread
2 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves contain glucosides and can be toxic in large doses. Symptoms include vomiting, convulsions, chronic spasms and muscular paralysis[10].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Button bush was often employed medicinally by native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a range of ailments[9]. It is little used in modern herbalism. A tea made from the bark is astringent, emetic, febrifuge and tonic[11][6]. A strong decoction has been used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery, stomach complaints, haemorrhages etc[9]. It has been used as a wash for eye inflammations[6]. A decoction of either the roots or the fruits have been used as a laxative to treat constipation[9] The leaves are astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic and tonic[11][6]. A tea has been used to check menstrual flow and to treat fevers, kidney stones, pleurisy etc[6]. The plant has a folk reputation for relieving malaria[6]. The inner bark has been chewed in the treatment of toothaches[6].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Odontalgic
Product or use
Ophthalmic
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Wood - light, tough. Of no commercial value[7].

Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Minnesota and California
Habitat
A lowland species, growing along the edges of streams, rivers, lakes, swamps and wet floodplains[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
False
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - we have no details on this plant but would suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in an acid compost in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of soft or semi-ripe wood, July in a frame[5]. Layering.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant[1], it prefers an open position in a moisture retentive or wet neutral to acid humus-rich soil[5]. Dislikes dryness at the roots[2]. A calcifuge plant, it dislikes alkaline soils[5]. Requires a sunny position[4]. Plants are hardy to about -25°c[4]. A fast-growing but short-lived species in the wild[7]. The flowers, and the dried leaves, have a soft sweet fragrance like newly mown hay[8]. A good bee plant[3]. Plants are sometimes evergreen[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  3. Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-292-78958-3

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  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  9. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

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