Consider Planting Buttonbush — A Star Butterfly Nectar Plant — To Help Our Pollinators

Buttonbush in full bloom with its creamy white flowers and yellow tipped spikes, alongside two new buds in green. Photo courtesy Staci-lee Sherwood

Who doesn’t love butterflies?  They’re not just beautiful to look at, they’re a marvel of nature’s engineering.  Their lifecycle from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly would be a superhuman human feat, yet butterflies have been doing this for nearly 60 million years.

Over the past decades, we have seen a decline in this amazing butterfly population, correlating with increased loss of habitat and use of pesticides. Earth’s butterflies need our help now, more than ever, to survive and keep reproducing for generations to come.  Two types of plants are crucial to their survival: the host plant where they lay their eggs and feed their caterpillars, and nectar plants for the adults.

Nectar Plants For Butterflies

Most information about what plants attract butterflies focuses mainly on their host plants. No eggs, no butterflies. Nectar plants are equally important to butterfly survival, and unlike host plants, feed a variety of butterflies and other insects as well, from bees and ants to beetles and birds. Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)  is a member of  the coffee family, Rubiaceae.

Found in the wilderness near wetlands, sloughs and swamps, they prefer moist soil with full to partial sun. They’re a hardy plant that also serves as a host plant for several moth species. Buttonbush is one of the best nectar plants as it attracts many species of butterflies. It typically grows in USDA zones 4 through 9, with zone 4 being the northern area and 9 being in the south.  This flowering plant can be found from Nova Scotia down to southern Florida, and out west from eastern Minnesota to eastern Texas.  This means people in most states can grow it in their garden.

Buttonbush can be found most abundantly  in the bright green areas of the map.

Buttonbush has a long rich history of use by people.  For centuries, Native Americans used it for many medicinal purposes due to its active and bitter glycosides, however its potent foliage, roots and bark can be toxic if misused without expert guidance. It can help stop erosion by stabilizing stream banks and is often used to help purify water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has promoted its use in wetland restoration.  Buttonbush plays a multipurpose role in the ecosystem and has been valued by both butterfly gardeners and wetland restorers for years.

This plant is an excellent addition to any garden or wetland, not just a food source, but also for its exotic beauty. Its unique flowers are a creamy white spiked ball. They almost look too dangerous for delicate butterflies to land and feast, but that is part of the magic of nature. The bristles are soft to the touch.

A ruddy daggerwing and Delaware skipper butterflies share nectar of a buttonbush blossom. Photo courtesy Staci-lee Sherwood.

Gardeners can plant the seeds and expect the plant to bloom in about 1-2 years depending on weather. Blooming season runs from June through August but in southern areas it’s hot all year so blooming season lasts longer.  This plant can grow up to 12 feet high and can get quite dense, so it also provides shade for any surrounding shrubs and flowers.  It does not survive in dry climates so daily watering might be needed if you live in a very dry area.  Another option might be to look into creating your own rain garden to keep the soil moist.  In colder northern areas winter time would mean dormancy.

For those who want to help our pollinators but don’t have room for a garden, this plant would be beneficial to plant where a wetlands area needs restoring or along the banks of ponds, streams or rivers in a park.  Native wild plants and flowers are disappearing so any time we can help bring them back we should.  They feed wildlife but also play a vital role in a healthy diverse ecosystem which benefits all life.  While buttonbush is a great source of food for butterflies, it can be toxic to dogs and cats, as are many host plants for pollinators. If you have a pet, train them to keep away from butterfly plants when outside and keep them on a leash.

This plant can grow up to 12 feet high and can get quite dense, so it also provides shade for any surrounding shrubs and flowers. Photo courtesy Connecticut Conservation Districts

Where To Buy Buttonbush

First check to see what native nectar plants grow in your area.  This is based on weather and soil conditions.  If you have a garden, you can choose to buy either the seeds or plants.  If you’re new to gardening for butterflies, you might want to buy the plant first to ensure it can survive and attract butterflies before buying and planting the seeds.

Check the following resources can help with your specific gardening tips and questions.

• Look up your state or local native plant society
• Mossy Oak Native Nursery ships seeds to zones 6-10
• North American Native Plant Society lists commercial growers of native plants by state
• North American Butterfly Association (NABA) has state chapters who can also help answers questions about plants and where to buy them

Reprinted with permission from North American Butterfly Association Spring 2026 Butterfly Gardener.

Staci-lee Sherwood is a lifelong preservationist, environmentalist and animal advocate. She is a published writer, blogger and poet, who writes poetry for fun and investigative articles to educate and motivate people into action at  www.realitycheckswithstacilee.com. Staci-lee is an avid photographer and hiker who calls the East Coast home with her rescue kitties. 

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