Clicking the following controls will change the main image displayed above.
- Tag: Sugar Shack® Cephalanthus
- Grower Sheet: Sugar Shack® Cephalanthus grower sheet
- Plant of the Week: Plant of the Week June 20, 2019
- Spec Sheet: Sugar Shack® Cephalanthus spec sheet
- Plant of the Week: Plant of the Week September 1, 2022
- Benchcard: Sugar Shack® Cephalanthus benchcard
- Booklet/Brochure: A New Vision for Native Shrubs
![photo of Tim Wood](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/breeder_photos/Wood.jpg)
Meet the Breeder
Tim Wood
Grand Haven, MI, USA
![AWARD WINNING](/images-templates/springm-award-banner.png)
SUGAR SHACK®
![Proven Winners ColorChoice Flowering Shrubs](/images-templates/proven-winners-logo.png)
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
'SMCOSS'
PP#26,543; CBR#5124
![close up of the spherical white flowers of the Sugar Shack Cephalanthus in garden](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/plant_images/Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack%201.jpg)
![Glossy foliage and white spherical flowers of Sugar Shack Cephalnthus](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/plant_images/Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack%202.jpg)
![Close up of white Sugar Shack Cephalnthus orb-shaped flowers](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/plant_images/Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack%203.jpg)
![Sugar Shack Cephalanthus in flower in landscape](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/plant_images/Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack%204.jpg)
![Close up of one round Sugar Shack Cephalanthus bloom](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/plant_images/Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack%205.jpg)
![Red fall fruit on Sugar Shack Cephalanthus in garden](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/plant_images/Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack%206.jpg)
![Close up of branch with red fall fruit of Sugar Shack Cephalanthus](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/plant_images/Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack%207.jpg)
![YouTube video describing the plant shown on this page](/images-templates/springm-video-thumb.png)
- Native to North America
- Fragrant
- Showy seedheads
- Description
Dwarf buttonbush! Buttonbush has long been prized as a native, but it was way too big for most landscapes. Not anymore! Sugar Shack® cephalanthus is half the size of conventional varieties, making it much more friendly to residential landscapes. Large, fragrant, orb-shaped blooms in summer become ornamental red fruit, which persists through fall. Glossy foliage and widely adaptable. Winner of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal in 2024.
![](https://springmeadownursery.com/files/habit_icons/Habit%20Icon%20Cephalanthus%20Sugar%20Shack.jpg)
- Awards
- 2024 PHS Gold Medal
- USDA Zone
- 4 - 10 (-30°F/-34°C)
- Exposure
- Full sun, Part sun
- Height
- 4 - 5'
- Width
- 4 - 5'
- Finish Time
- 1 season
- Type
- Deciduous
- Bloom Time
- Summer
- Flower Color
- White
- Foliage Color
- Green
- Liner Sizes
- 2 1/4", 4", Quick Turn
General Care
Soil
In the wild, cephalanthus is frequently found growing on pond edges and riverbanks. It quite enjoys wet soils, though will grow in well-drained and average soils as well.Pruning
Prune as needed in early spring.Uses
Mixed borders; naturalizing; hedging; foundation plantings.Growing Tips
A good plant for naturalizing wet areas. In warmer climates, it typically benefits from some pruning to keep its habit tidy.Features: Fragrant, Attracts pollinators, Native, Deer resistant, Clay soil, Alkaline soil, Award winner
Filters: Botanical genus: Cephalanthus, Common name: Buttonbush, Retail program: Proven Winners® ColorChoice®, USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, USDA Zone 8, USDA Zone 9, USDA Zone 10, Exposure: Full sun, Exposure: Part sun, Bloom time: Summer, White flowers, Green foliage
Features: Fragrant, Attracts pollinators, Native, Deer resistant, Clay soil, Alkaline soil, Award winner
Filters: Botanical genus: Cephalanthus, Common name: Buttonbush, Retail program: Proven Winners® ColorChoice®, USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, USDA Zone 8, USDA Zone 9, USDA Zone 10, Exposure: Full sun, Exposure: Part sun, Bloom time: Summer, White flowers, Green foliage