Talk Animals OnlineNiche Article Directory all about Animals

If you live in an area where it is marshy, you have the perfect condition for growing a buttonbush. The bush can grow as tall as twenty feet, however six to eight feet are the normal range. The buttonbush can also spread out to eight feet under ideal growing conditions.

The bush as some describe it, has a scrubby appearance and dead branches are part of its natural state. It has what is called deciduous leaves, which means that it normally sheds its leaves one a year.

Generally, the leaves form in opposite pairs. The best way to describe the leaves is oval or elliptic. The leaves grow up to three to six inches in length, and two to four inches wide. The appearance of the buttonbush flower definitely sparks interest. They develop into a pincushion - like ball with creamy white to greenish white flowers. The tiny flowers are fragrant and form in clusters.

Many varieties of the buttonbush have been identified and found to be unique. One trait that all of them share is they do best in wetlands and swampy areas. You can often find the plants growing along streams, ponds or rivers. Virtually anywhere there is standing water throughout the year the buttonbush will easily grow.

The buttonbush can be found growing naturally in the East Coast of Canada and the United States. The bush, when it grows in standing water, will occasionally grow pure, but very dense strands. The bush is quite important to the eco system of swamps.

The submerged parts of the bush provide a home for a number of invertebrates, which are animals without a backbone. From there, the invertebrates are used as a food source by various fish, amphibians, ducks and reptiles. Different species of bird and duck rely on the seeds of the buttonbush as a food supply.