Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Perennial
Origin
South Africa
Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada, Mexico
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Ratibida columnifera
Number of Varieties
725
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Dry areas, Prairies, Rocky areas, rocky outcrops
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-113-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
10-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
Yellow, Purple, Burgundy, Light Green, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Subulate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Average Water Needs, Water in morning to avoid prompting diseases
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full 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
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought, Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun
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
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
Rhinitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Analgesic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Flowers
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Can be made into a herbal tea, Used in making tea
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
RATIBIDA columnifera
Common Name
Buttonbush
Mexican Hat
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Mexican Hat
In German
Button Strauch
Mexican Hat
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Mexican Hat
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
mexican Hat
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Mexican Hat
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Mexican Hat
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Mexican Hat
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Mexicanus Hat
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Asterales
Family
Bruniaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Ratibida
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1214
1
27800
👆🏻