Buttonbush vs Wood Lily - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Wood Lily

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Lilium philadelphicum

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Buttonbush
Wood Lily

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.

Wood Lily is a native perennial wildflower known for its vibrant, trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of orange to red. Its showy flowers appear mid-summer and are highly visible in meadows and prairies. The upward-facing flowers are an important nectar source for many pollinators, including native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Unlike most lilies, the Wood Lily’s flowers face upward rather than nodding. It is slow to establish and may take years before flowering, but once mature, it requires little maintenance. It is well-suited for pollinator gardens, naturalisation projects, prairie restoration, and open woodland plantings.
Wood Lily is the provincial flower of Saskatchewan and North America’s most widespread lily. Despite its wide natural range, populations have been declining. Habitat loss, overgrazing by deer, and unsustainable picking have reduced both its abundance and density across many regions. These pressures highlight the importance of protecting and restoring this once-common wildflower.

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Wood Lily Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2b
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: short
Growth form: upright
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: toxic to cats
Flowers: large, white, spherical
Flowers: bright orange to red with dark spots
Bloom time: early to mid summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC
Other Names: prairie wood lily, red lily, red wood lily