Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Grass
Shrub
Origin
Africa, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Madagascar
South Africa
Types
-
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
-7
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland, Sandy areas
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Burgundy, Pink, Rose
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Light Pink, Tan, White
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs less watering
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Shade areas
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bog Garden, Ground Cover
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
-
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
-
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Edging, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELINIS nerviglumis
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Ruby Grass, Zizka
Buttonbush
In Hindi
Zizka
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Zizka
Button Strauch
In French
Zizka
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
Zizka
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
Zizka
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
Zizka
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
Zizka
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
Žižka
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Rubiales
Family
Poaceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Melinis
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
2212
1
27800
👆🏻