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"Buttonbush, Common Buttonbush, Globeflowers, Honey-balls, Pond Dogwood, Swamp Sycamore"
Rubiaceae Family - From the Greek kephale meaning head and occidentalis meaning western or of the western hemisphere.
Found in most of the northeastern and eastern US with varieties found through the Great basin and California and south through Texas. In the Tallgrass region, it favors the edges of ponds and swamps. Fragrant white flowers show from July through August. With ideal conditions, it can reach 20 feet in height, but normally grows 3 to 6 feet in height. The fruits of Buttonbush are eaten by some bird species during the winter months and pheasants and wood duck feed on the seeds.
Southern Native Americans and French Settlers made a tonic from the bark of the Buttonbush to treat fevers. It is related to the coffee tree and the tree which provides quinine. The leaves do contain glucoside, a known poison which can affect grazing animals. Some medicines are derived from the leaves and the root bark has been used to treat diabetes.
