Buttonbush vs Northern Bayberry - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Northern Bayberry

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Myrica pensylvanica

ONLY AVAILABLE BY CONTRACT GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

Buttonbush
Northern Bayberry

Buttonbush is a moisture loving shrub that provides year round interest.

It has round, fragrant flowers resembling small buttons or pincushions. The flowers transform into small reddish-brown fruit that persists into winter while the leaves take on shades of red in fall.

Providing essential food to bees, butterflies, and other insects, this shrub is versatile. Try it in your next shrub border.

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes
Berries: blue-gray
Flowers: large, white, spherical
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: long
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium




Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub