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I purchased seed from a reputable supplier that was labelled as buttonbush or Cephalanthus occidentalis. One seed germinated and managed to grow two inches tall in the first two years. I then planted it in a tiny pocket of soil with access to water. Five years later this plant is now almost 15' tall (5 m) and flowering. The species is described as having " hard spherical ball-like fruits". The plant I have has elongated flowering bodies.

I wonder what exactly I have growing...it's taller, the flower is different but it sure likes water. Alternate leaves, deciduous, not a willow, pollinators like it for early spring bloom.

Here is a picture of a buttonbush from Ontario trees

Buttonbush.

Other pictures and descriptions of the species can be found here and here.

Here is what is growing in my backyard. What is it? closeup enter image description here cephalanthus?

kevinskio
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2 Answers2

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Well, its not Cephalanthus occidentalis! I'll take a stab - one of the Clethras, maybe? Clethra alnifolia or Clethra delayavi; they love lots of water, but the flowers don't look decorative enough, unless the ones in the picture are going over. Growth rate seems a little fast too, and as a bush it looks a little lean and 'staring'... like it needs a hard prune!

Bamboo
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Keep a close eye on the flowers. Willows are dioecious, Cephalanthus are not. See if the flower parts are male or female.

Polypipe Wrangler
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