Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Fruit
Origin
South Africa
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Number of Varieties
71
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
White, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Budding, Cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Prune in spring, Remove branches, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
Common Name
Buttonbush
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Buddha's Hand
Tree
In German
Button Strauch
Buddhas Hand
Baum
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Mano de Buda
Árbol
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Mão de Buda
Árvore
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Buddha manus
Arbor
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Rubiales
Sapindales
Family
Bruniaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Citrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
121
1
27800
👆🏻