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| Photo Credit: Mark Fishbein |
| The round, pincushion-like flowers of buttonbush bloom in late spring. |
Wet, marshy sites demand the right plants. There are a few shrubs that thrive in this kind of environment:
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis; hardy in zones 5-11). A little-known plant, buttonbush is native to the US and usually found beside a pond or lake, often growing in water. It has glossy leaves and fragrant, white flowers that are borne in a ball and resemble round pincushions. (These eventually become the fruit for which the plant is named.) The fruit is dull yellow and remains on the plant all winter. Depending on the climate, this shrub can grow from 3-10 feet tall. It’s a little rangy, so don’t put it in a formal area. Instead, place it in a natural setting, on the edge of a pond perhaps, or in a water garden with lots of other natives. Plant in sun or partial shade. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Lane Greer | | The glowing stems of red-osier dogwood are a welcome winter sight. |
Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea, also known as C. stolonifera; hardy in zones 2-6). One of the shrubby dogwoods, red-osier has blood-red stems in winter, which can be seen after the plant drops its leaves in fall. It bears creamy-white flower clusters in late spring, then produces white fruit in autumn. Give it full sun and it’ll grow 6-8 feet tall. The shrub looks best when planted in groups. For a little variety, there’s also a yellow-twig dogwood (C. sericea ‘Flaviramea’), with golden-yellow twigs instead of red.
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