Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
South Africa
Southeastern United States
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Tree
Number of Varieties
7-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Dappled Shade, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-115-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
9-3
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Upright/Erect
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
White
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Red, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Oblong to ablanceolate
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
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
-
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
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
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
Nitrate based fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Beetles
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
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
Hair Conditioner, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Cardiac, Diuretic, Refrigerant, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for woodware
It is a remedy for treating fevers, Used in making tea, Used in treatment of mouth ulcers
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
OXYDENDRUM arboreum
Common Name
Buttonbush
Sourwood
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Sourwood
In German
Button Strauch
Sourwood
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Sourwood
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Sourwood
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Sourwood
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Sourwood
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Sourwood
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Sourwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Ericales
Family
Bruniaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Oxydendrum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Oxydendreae
Subfamily
-
Vaccinioideae
Number of Species
121
1
27800
👆🏻