Buttonbush vs Yellow Hedysarum - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Yellow Hedysarum

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Hedysarum sulphurescens

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Buttonbush
Yellow Hedysarum

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 Hedysarum is a native perennial wildflower recognized for its clusters of pale yellow to creamy-white, pea-like blooms. Flowering from late spring into summer, it adds subtle colour to grasslands, roadsides, and open woods while attracting a variety of pollinators, especially bumblebees.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Hedysarum enriches soils and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. Its deep taproot and extensive root system make it drought-tolerant and effective at stabilizing soil. Grizzly bears are known to dig up and eat the nutritious taproot. Its resilience and ecological value make it well-suited for restoration, naturalization, pollinator gardens, and erosion control projects.

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Yellow Hedysarum Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2b
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: short
Growth form: ascending to upright
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: large, white, spherical
Flowers: creamy yellow, in dense spikes
Bloom time: late spring to summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: sulphur hedysarum, sulphur sweet-vetch, yellow sweet-vetch