Buttonbush vs Silky Lupine - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Silky Lupine

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Lupinus sericeus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Buttonbush
Silky Lupine

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.

Silky Lupine is a native perennial wildflower known for its upright spikes of blue to violet flowers. Blooming from late spring into summer, the nectar-rich, showy blossoms attract a variety of pollinators, especially bees and butterflies. The plant’s fine, silky foliage provides soft texture and visual interest, enhancing landscapes throughout the growing season.

Silky Lupine is a nitrogen-fixing plant that enriches soils and supports surrounding vegetation. Its deep roots stabilize soil, and it spreads naturally by ejecting seeds from drying pods. If spread isn’t desired, new seedlings are easy to remove. While it is foraged by some wild animals, it contains alkaloids that are toxic to livestock. Silky Lupine is well-suited to pollinator gardens, naturalization plantings, erosion control, and ecological restoration projects.

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Silky Lupine Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 4a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: any
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: short
Growth form: clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: toxic to sheep and other livestock
Foliage: Silky-haired, palmately compound leaves
Flowers: large, white, spherical
Flowers: Blue to violet pea-like flowers
Bloom time: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Native to: AB, BC