Can you guess what is pictured in photo below?
The answer to last week’s mystery is buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, pictured below”
Buttonbush boats unique pincushion-like balls of white, fragrant flowers that appear in mid-to-late Summer. They draw the attention of pollinators and people alike.
The small flowers form distinctive, dense, spherical clusters with a fringe of pistils protruding beyond the white corollas. The flower heads mature into hard, reddish-brown, ball-like fruits consisting of tiny, multiple two-seeded nutlets that persist through the Winter.
The buttonbush shrub grows 6-12′ tall, although there are some more compact varieties. It is frequently found in rain gardens and along wet edges.
The commercial introduction of buttonbush in 1735 was primarily for beekeepers – its other common name is honey-bells – as a pollen and nectar source for honeybees. Butterflies and hummingbirds are also attracted to the nectar, while wood ducks use the plant’s structure for the protection of brooding nests.
Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.
Eugenie Drayton says
American Bullfrog