Cephalanthus occidentalis (buttonbush)
in Point Pleasant Park
Halifax, N.S. |
Flowering plant on Aug. 30, 2013
Click on images for larger versions
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Non-flowering plant (Sep. 22, 2013)
Rosa multiflora by a larger, flowering plant
(Sep. 22, 2013)
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I noted two plants with flowers in a wet area by a large pond on Aug. 30/Sep. 5, 2013. One was readily visible from a road. On Sep. 22nd, I surveyed adjacent areas around that pond and around a nearby, smaller, higher elevation pond that drains into the larger pond. I counted and GPS'd 28 plants of which 9 were flowering (in fruit on Sep. 22). The largest plant was 140 cm in height with a stem 3.5 cm width at its base, the smallest 40 cm height, stem approx. 0.7 cm diameter at its base. All plants were located on semi-open, wet ground within 1-5 m of standing water in the two ponds; 3 were close to the larger pond and 25 to the smaller pond.
There were two, discrete Rosa multiflora plants by two of the flowering buttonbushes. In the U.S., R. multiflora is considered to be a facultative wetland species and invasive of wetlands. R. multiflora is currently uncommon in Point Pleasant Park. (I have been reported two occurrences to staff in the past, both of which were removed.)
Cephalanthus occidentalis is an Atlantic Coastal Plain species
reported to occur in Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, & Lunenburg counties but to date, apparently,
not in Halifax Co. (See MTRI species description.)
In response to a posting about the PPP plants on the NatureNS listserv, Dusan S. commented: "There is at least one large buttonbush bush at the former Hugonin estate on McNabs Island, across Halifax Harbour from Point Pleasant Park. I assume that it had been planted there. There is a history of use of this shrub in gardening."
The setting in PPP, in semi-open wetland adjacent to standing water, appears quite natural. My thought is that it is a recent arrival, whether natural or anthropenic, perhaps spurred on by warmer climate and site changes following Hurricane Juan in 2003. There are at least 2 generations and likely 3 generations of plants present at this site and it appears to be expanding its distribution.
Sean Blaney of the ADCC commented (Sep. 23rd): "I would suspect recent origin, but I would probably lean toward
anthropogenic origin in the Point Pleasant area, if not in the particular
spots you mention. There are no other records in Nova Scotia of the plant
away from areas having a significant representation of Atlantic Coastal
Plain species. Marian [Marian Munro Zinck, curator of Botany at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History] received a report a few years ago from Martins River
in Lunenburg County, which would be the next northeasternnmost watershed in
which it occurs."
The Final Answer on its origin! "As for buttonbush, about a thousand whips of it were planted in the park, as part of the overall planting program, in autumn 2008. At least that's what I know from the records I have of the plantings during 2007 and 2008." - Peter Duinker 1 Oct 2013
& when one googles "Point Pleasant Park" "buttonbush" this link comes up, citing the plantings:
Fall 2008 Forest Restoration Work
- David P.
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Posted by dp, 5 Sep. 2013 Updated Oct. 1, 2013.
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