This strange little plant, with a woody stem and three-lobed leaves which are red when new and turn green with age, has been popping up in my backyard. Out of curiosity, I googled it, and found it hiding in a forum post on Dave’s Garden: this is Jatropha gossypiifolia, also known as the bellyache bush,…
Tag: flora
Common Buttonbush
Native to the eastern United States, the common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) attracts both birds and butterflies with its inch-wide, white spherical blossoms. Buttonbush is a shrub in the Rubiaceae family, often used as an ornamental plant or windbreak. It can get to be pretty large, about 8′ high and 14′ wide. (I am NOT a…