Summer winding down — but buttonbush still has time to shine
Fall is just around the corner, and some of my summer bloomers are beginning to wind down. But birds and other wildlife continue to need sustenance from plants, and I continue to need focal points in my garden. Fortunately, buttonbush, a sadly underused shrub, is filling both of our needs. Sometimes referred to as honey balls, buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is the last to leaf out in spring and the last summer-flowering shrub to bloom in my garden. But it makes up for its tardiness with its unique clusters of spherical, white blossoms that resemble golf-ball-sized Sputnik ...
