Buttonbush vs Prairie Crocus - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Prairie Crocus

Pulsatilla nuttalliana (Anemone patens)

Cephalanthus occidentalis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Prairie Crocus
Buttonbush

Prairie Crocus is a native perennial wildflower that is often considered one of the first signs of spring. The flowers can range from purple, pale blue, to white and often appear before the snow has fully melted. It can bloom a month earlier than other spring flowers, providing an early source of pollen for a variety of pollinators.

The plant is covered in woolly white hairs, including the finely divided leaves, giving them a silvery appearance. Prairie Crocus leaves do not fully emerge until after it has bloomed. The spent blooms transform into fluffy, feathery seed heads. During the hot summer months, the Prairie Crocus goes dormant and will repeat its life cycle the following spring.

The Prairie Crocus is Manitoba’s provincial flower.

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.

Prairie Crocus Quick Facts

Buttonbush Quick Facts

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

Toxicity: all parts toxic if eaten, sap can irritate skin

Foliage: fuzzy, finely divided leaves
Flowers: pale purple, cup-shaped
Flowers: large, white, spherical
Bloom time: early spring
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT, NU
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: american pasqueflower, crocus anemone, pasqueflower, prairie pasqueflower, prairie smoke