Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
South Africa
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States, Texas
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Aralia spinosa
Number of Varieties
71
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden Secondary
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
White, Green, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
bipinnate
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
Fast
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
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Cuttings, Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Needs high amount of water
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Leaf spot, Mealybugs
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees, Butterflies, Insects
Allergy
Toxic
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders, Woodland margins
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Alterative, Analgesic, Diaphoretic, Opthalmic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Bark, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Used as a potherb
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
ARALIA spinosa
Common Name
Buttonbush
American Angelica Tree, Devil's Walking Stick, Hercules' Club
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Devil's Walking Stick
In German
Button Strauch
Teufelsspazierstock
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Walking bâton du diable
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Bastón del Diablo
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Περπάτημα Stick διαβόλου
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Vara andando de diabo
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Diabelski laska
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Virgam diaboli
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Apiales
Family
Bruniaceae
Araliaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Aralia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Aralioideae
Number of Species
1230
1
27800
👆🏻