Cephalanthus sp.
Button bush, Button Bush
(c) Amy Schnebelin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Amy Schnebelin · licence
Family: Rubiaceae · Type: Shrub · Variable; species dependent
Cephalanthus sp. (Button bush) is a non-native California shrub in the Rubiaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Lonicera: Cephalanthus has perfectly spherical flower heads; honeysuckle has tubular flowers in pairs or whorls along the stem.; vs Calycanthus: Cephalanthus has tiny flowers in dense spherical heads; Calycanthus has large solitary flowers with many petals.; vs Cornus: Cephalanthus has perfectly round white flower balls; dogwood has flat-topped or head-like clusters, often with large white bracts.; vs Diodia: Cephalanthus is a woody shrub with spherical flower heads; Diodia is an herb with flowers in leaf axils.; vs Kelloggia: Cephalanthus forms dense spherical heads of 50+ flowers; Kelloggia has small loose clusters of a few flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cephalanthus sp. native to California?
No. Cephalanthus sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Cephalanthus sp. belong to?
Cephalanthus sp. is in the Rubiaceae family, genus Cephalanthus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.