Crimson Comets Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis 'SMCBM' CRIMSON COMETS)
sef-ah-LAN-thus ox-ee-den-TAL-is 'SMCBM' CRIMSON COMETS

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Mounded in the Rubiaceae Family
 
Buy Crimson Comets Buttonbush
Size Notes Price Availability
#3AB Field $45.34 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

Crimson Comets is a 2021-patented buttonbush selection bred by Timothy D. Wood of Spring Meadow Nursery, discovered as a seedling of the dwarf cultivar Sugar Shack. Like its parent, it carries the species fragrant, spherical white flower clusters that mature into showy crimson-red fruit balls, but on a plant that still reaches a fuller, more traditional buttonbush size of 6-10 feet tall and wide at maturity.

It shares the straight species toughness for wet, low-lying sites -- rain gardens, pond and stream edges, and bioswales -- while also tolerating average garden soil with consistent moisture. Flowers appear over a long season, typically from late spring into early fall, drawing bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and the fruit persists into winter as food for waterfowl and other wildlife.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 6 - 10 feet tall. 6 - 10 feet wide.
Growth Rate Medium
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet
Zones 5a - 9b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Deciduous, Fragrant, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Good for Rain Garden, Medium, Nativar, Native to North America, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Pond, Potentially Toxic, Proven Winner Selection, Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Shrub, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant
Bloom Period Late Spring to Early Fall
Flower Color White
Foliage Color Glossy Green
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 05/04

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!