Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Perennial
Origin
South Africa
United States, Canada
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
-
Number of Varieties
710
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Cultivated Beds, Dappled Shade, Woodland Garden Canopy, Woodlands
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
-
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
White, Green, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Brown
Dark Purple
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Obtuse
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Average Water Needs
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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 summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Cadmium fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Mosaic viruses, Yellow Leaves
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
Birds, Small mammals
Allergy
Toxic
Abdominal pain, allergic reaction, cramps, Diarrhea, Nausea, Spasms, Toxic, Toxic if not prepared properly, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Anodyne, anti-inflammatory, Antirheumatic, Arthritis, Curing mumps and measles, Homeopathy
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Used as an insecticide, Used for its medicinal properties, Used for making soaps, Used in making blue ink
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Wildflower
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
PHYTOLACCA americana
Common Name
Buttonbush
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Pokeberry
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
POKEBERRY
In German
Button Strauch
Kermesbeere
In French
buttonbush arbuste
POKEBERRY
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Pokeberry
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
POKEBERRY
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
POKEBERRY
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
alkiermes
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
pokeberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Bruniaceae
Phytolaccaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Phytolacca
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1235
1
27800
👆🏻