Buttonbush vs Yellow Mountain Avens - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Yellow Mountain Avens

Dryas drummondii

Cephalanthus occidentalis

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Yellow Mountain Avens
Buttonbush

Yellow Mountain Avens is a native perennial wildflower with bright yellow buttercup-like blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. By thriving at higher elevations, it helps sustain pollinator populations and provides one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen in alpine habitats. After the blooms fade, the plant produces silky seed heads that begin as upright, compact tufts and gradually expand into rounded, fluffy clusters, adding texture and interest to the landscape.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Mountain Avens enriches soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. It forms dense, spreading mats of evergreen foliage that act as a groundcover and help stabilize soil. Often among the first species to establish in disturbed alpine sites such as glacial outwash or landslides, it is well-suited for alpine revegetation, erosion control, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects in harsh, rocky environments.

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.

Yellow Mountain Avens Quick Facts

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: long
Growth form: mat-forming, creeping
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: evergreen, leathery
Flowers: yellow, buttercup-like, nodding
Flowers: large, white, spherical
Bloom time: spring to summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON, QC, NB, NL, YT, NT
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: drummonds dryad, drummonds mountain avens, yellow dryad