Cephalanthus (occidentalis)
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William Errickson Agriculture Agent Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cream Ridge, New Jersey william.errickson@njaes.rutgers.edu |
| Family Scientific Name: | Rubiaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Madder | ||
| Scientific Name: | Cephalanthus occidentalis | ||
| Common Name: | Buttonbush | ||
| Species Code: | CEPOCC | ||
| Ecotype: | Central New Jersey | ||
| General Distribution: | Buttonbush is found from Florida to Mexico and north to Nova Scotia and Ontario. It grows along the banks of rivers, ponds, lakes, swamps, and other wet areas that have saturated soil in full to partial sun. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | Plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | Vegetative | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Stock Type: | 1 Gallon Container | ||
| Time To Grow: | 12 to 16 months | ||
| Target Specifications: | 12-18" Height, Well rooted | ||
| Propagule Collection: | Summer softwood cuttings approximately 12" long were collected from wild populations in Central New Jersey in June and early July from healthy plants. The cuttings were kept moist and placed inside a soft insulated bag used for field collections. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | The cuttings were kept moist and stored in a walk-in cooler for 2 days or less before sticking. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | Cuttings were cut to 4 to 6" lengths with at least 2 nodes, having an angled cut on the bottom and a straight cut on the top and leaves were trimmed to approximately 50%. The bottom of the cuttings were dipped in Hormodin 1 (0.1% IBA) powder and stuck in 2" cells filled with high porosity peat-based medium. | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
The stuck cuttings were placed on mist tables in an unheated greenhouse with ventilation. Intermittent mist was supplied for 6 seconds every 10 minutes. | ||
| Establishment Phase: | Cuttings were well rooted in 6 to 8 weeks with a 85 to 90% success rate. | ||
| Length of Establishment Phase: | 6 to 8 weeks | ||
| Active Growth Phase: |
Well rooted cuttings were transplanted to 1 gallon containers filled with peat based growing media supplemented with Caliber-cote controlled release fertilizer (18N–6P2O5-12K2O). |
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| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 10-14 Months | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | One gallon containers were finished the following season by June or September. | ||
| Outplanting performance on typical sites: | Grows well on wet sites, suitable for stream bank stabilization and rain gardens. | ||
| References: |
https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ceoc2.pdf |
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Citation:
Errickson, William. 2025. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Cephalanthus occidentalis Plants 1 Gallon Container; Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cream Ridge, New Jersey. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/11/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
