Hands down the most popular plant in our garden right now is the button bush. (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Its like grand central station with all the different species of bees, flies, butterflies and other insects arriving and departing from this shrub from morning until night.
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| painted lady butterfly with bee on button bush |
The flower balls are an excellent source of nectar for a variety of insects come mid-summer.
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| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
Butterflies of all sizes and families enjoy nectaring on the pincushion flower heads from the smaller skippers to the mid-sized, painted lady and the larger swallowtails.
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| silver-spotted skipper on button bush |
All variety of bees are also found drinking nectar and gathering pollen here. Honey bees use the pollen to produce honey.
Several syrphid flies also like to drink nectar from these spheres. We often see these flower flies making a circle around the blooms. Look closely at the photo below and you can see the fly drinking.
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| Syrphid fly on button bush |
Another really fascinating hover fly is the yellow jacket hover fly also known as the 'good news bee' because these guys will hover in front of you as if to give you the latest news from your garden.
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| Yellow jacket hover fly (Milesia virginiensis) |
They are often mistaken for hornets since they fly aggressively and buzz loudly as if mimicking a hornet. Can you see the resemblance? But no worries, syrphid flies are completely harmless and good for your garden. Their larvae will eat lots of aphids.
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| Yellow jacket hover fly (Milesia virginiensis) |
The button bush is usually found in swamps and marshes but it is tolerant of soil and moisture conditions once established. Ours is located at the bottom of a slopped area and it benefits from all the water run-off. We will be adding another one near our house in an area that tends to flood during heavy rains. It is perfect plant for a rain garden.
It is a great native alternative to the butterfly bush which is considered invasive in some parts of the country. And unlike the butterfly bush which is only a nectar source, the button bush is also a host plant to 18 different Lepidoptera species including the promethea moth, hydrangea sphinx, and dagger moth. You may just be lucky enough to find a saddleback caterpillar on it! The button bush is hardy from zone 4 to 11 and will grow anywhere from 6 to 10 feet tall.
This is by far one of my favorite plants in our garden and one that every wildlife garden should include.
Several syrphid flies also like to drink nectar from these spheres. We often see these flower flies making a circle around the blooms. Look closely at the photo below and you can see the fly drinking.
