Cephalanthus occidentalis - Large rounded shrub cloaked in dark green leaves. Globe-shaped white Sputnik flowers dot the shrub, July and August in northeastern Connecticut. They are approximately 1 to 1.25 inches diameter. The balls are a big draw for bees and butterflies. Frogs love it. Ducks love it. The Soviet space program loved it and we're presuming Russians still love it... alright, alright: scratch the Soviet/Russian thing. Site in part shade; a mix of sun and shade seems to suit Buttonbush. Always plant in moist to wet organic soil. Ours revels in rich bottomland soil. Native to a broad swath of North America from New Brunswick to Florida, west to Minnesota, south to New Mexico, Arizona, and into central California, Mexico, Cuba and East Asia. With such a broad nativity we have to believe that there are provincial distinctions. Our shrub is bone hardy here in USDA zone 5b. Established potted Buttonbush from cutting.