Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis

[StoneCloud]

Excited to work with this one!

Granted the leaves are large and don't reduce as much as we may like, but if I keep it as a larger Bonsai I should be able to achieve good proportions.

They produce amazing white flowers and red fruit.

Not sure how it will go but I've seen some nice examples out there.

Anyone else working with these?

 

[MHBonsai]

I've got one that I collected and have worked for a few years. I think they are underutilized. Awesome bark, strong predictable native growers, cool deadwood, and they love water so you can find nice stuff that is weathered from our southern rivers to collect.

 

[StoneCloud]

I've got one that I collected and have worked for a few years. I think they are underutilized. Awesome bark, strong predictable native growers, cool deadwood, and they love water so you can find nice stuff that is weathered from our southern rivers to collect.

View attachment 284599

Well now that's a buttonbush!!! Haha!

The fact they are native, the bark and natural gnarly look is what drew me.

From my research and seeing yours as well I agree they should be used more!

I didn't realize they get so big, how tall was yours prior to collecting? I thought they only get to 3 or so feet tall.

 

[MHBonsai]

Well now that's a buttonbush!!! Haha!

The fact they are native, the bark and natural gnarly look is what drew me.

From my research and seeing yours as well I agree they should be used more!

I didn't realize they get so big, how tall was yours prior to collecting? I thought they only get to 3 or so feet tall.

They grow around the rivers to about 30' tall around here. Most are shrubby little things, but occasionally they get big like this one. Mine was about 15' tall overhanging the water. I chopped it off one year down to about 3', let it recover and collected the next year. They are tough trees and grow a lot of good fibrous roots in a bonsai pot too.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Most of the shrubs surrounding this 1300 year old bald cypress, are Cephalanthus, button bushes. They are about 3 to 5 feet above the waterline. The water is about 3 feet deep at this location. This is southern Illinois, lower Cache River, near Vienna.

Careful, if you go there, the Sheriff don't know how to read or write, if you do anything that makes him want to write a ticket, he get's "mighty sore".

 

[StoneCloud]

@MHBonsai. I'm gonna start keeping my eyes peeled for bigger ones from now on.
When you chopped it the first time, did you leave any branches?

@Leo in N E Illinois awesome pics! I love BCs. Those buttonbushes look just as old!


Oh man. Next time tell the sheriff:

"I'll write my own ticket!!"

 

[MHBonsai]

@MHBonsai. I'm gonna start keeping my eyes peeled for bigger ones from now on.
When you chopped it the first time, did you leave any branches?

@Leo in N E Illinois awesome pics! I love BCs. Those buttonbushes look just as old!


Oh man. Next time tell the sheriff:

"I'll write my own ticket!!"

I cut it down to a stump. No branches. They will back bud like crazy, even through old established bark.

 

[StoneCloud]

I cut it down to a stump. No branches. They will back bud like crazy, even through old established bark.

Perfect, very good to know! Cheers!