Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Grass
Origin
South Africa
Eastern Asia, Australia
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Pennisetum setaceum
Number of Varieties
710
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Grassland, open forests, wastelands, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-115-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
9 - 5
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
Ivory, Rose, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Sandy Brown, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Light Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Conduplicate
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, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
occasional watering once established
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
eyespot, Leaf spot, Rust
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
songbirds
Allergy
Toxic
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders, Ground Cover
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
Seeds
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Used like flour
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
PENNISETUM alopecuroides
Common Name
Buttonbush
Chinese Fountaingrass, Fountaingrass
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Fountaingrass
In German
Button Strauch
Fountaingrass
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Fountaingrass
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Fountaingrass
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Fountaingrass
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Fountaingrass
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Fountaingrass
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Fountaingrass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Cyperales
Family
Bruniaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
12600
1
27800
👆🏻