You can’t look at a Buttonbush flower without thinking of elephants.
Or at least one elephant named Horton, made famous by Dr. Seuss. In Horton Hears a Who!, the Who Horton hears is shouting from a flower that’s a dead-ringer for a Buttonbush bloom … except Horton’s was pink instead of buttonbush white.
kAmr@>>@? qFEE@?3FD9 :D 2 D9CF3 @C D>2== EC66 ?2E:G6 E@ E96 62DE6C? 92=7 @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] %96C6 :D 2?@E96C G2C:6EJ @7 E96 D2>6 DA64:6D 42==65 r2=:7@C?:2 qFEE@?\(:==@H 7@F?5 :? E96 $@FE9H6DE[ D@FE96C? |6I:4@ 2?5 A2CED @7 r6?EC2= p>6C:42]k^Am
kAmw6C6 :? E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 2C62[ H6 92G6 E96 G6CD:@? FDF2==J <?@H? 2D qFEE@?3FD9[ 3FE :? @E96C 2C62D :E’D 2=D@ 42==65 qFEE@?\(:==@H[ w@?6J\q6==[ qFEE@? %C66[ v=@36 u=@H6C 2?5 qFEE@? q2== 2?5 qFEE@? (@@5]k^Am
kAm%96 D4:6?E:7:4 ?2>6 @7 E9:D DA64:6D :D k6>mr6A92=2?E9FD @44:56?E2=:Dk^6>m] r6A92=2?E9FD >62?D “9625 7=@H6C” 2?5 ~44:56?E2=:D >62?D “7C@> E96 H6DE]”k^Am
kAmx? E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 2C62[ J@F’C6 >@DE =:<6=J E@ D66 E9:D A=2?E 2=@?8 E96 D9@C6=:?6 @7 E96 =2<6[ @C :ED EC:3FE2C:6D[ 2?5 :? DH2>AJ @C >2CD9J A=246D[ :?4=F5:?8 H6E C@25D:56 5:E496D] %9:D A=2?E =:<6D H6E 766E 2?5 42? 6G6? 36 7@F?5 8C@H:?8 :? H2E6C FA E@ b 766E 566A[ 2D H6== 2D :? 52>A D@:=] qFEE@?3FD9 2=D@ =:<6D =@ED @7 DF?D9:?6 2?5 D2?5J @C D:=EJ D@:=D E92E 2C6 24:5:4 @C ?6FEC2=]k^Am
kAm%9:D 564:5F@FD A=2?E DAC@FED >F=E:A=6 DE6>D E92E 42? C6249 FA E@ h 766E E2== 2?5 =@@< =:<6 2 D>2== EC66[ 3FE >@C6 @7E6? :E :D E96 D:K6 @7 2 D9CF3]k^Am
kAm%96 >@DE 5:DE:?4E:G6 762EFC6 @7 E9:D D9CF3 :D :ED G6CJ F?:BF6 7=@H6Ci 2 56?D6[ H9:E6 8=@36 23@FE E96 D:K6 @7 2 8@=7 32== H:E9 =@?8 DEJ=6D E92E 8:G6 :E 2 A:? 4FD9:@? =@@<] qFEE@?3FD9 7=@H6CD 92G6 2? :?E6?D6[ DH66E D>6== E92E 2EEC24ED 2 ?F>36C @7 :?D64ED]k^Am
kAmt249 7=@H6C =2DED 23@FE 7@FC 52JD 367@C6 :E =@D6D :ED A:?\=:<6 EF3F=2C 7=@H6CD] ~?46 E96 7=@H6CD 7256[ E96 7CF:ED E92E C6>2:? 2C6 D>2==[ 9:89=J E6IEFC65 8C66? 32==D E92E 4@?E2:? ?FE=6ED H:E9 EH@ D665D] %96D6 8C66? 32==D =@@< D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 3FEE@?D[ H9:49 >2J 92G6 :?7=F6?465 E96 49@:46 @7 2 4@>>@? ?2>6 7@C E9:D A=2?E]k^Am
kAmqFEE@?3FD9 3=@@>D @G6C 2 ?F>36C @7 >@?E9D :? E96 DF>>6C]k^Am
kAm%96 =62G6D @7 2 qFEE@?3FD9 2C6 a E@ e :?496D =@?8 2?5 ` E@ b :?496D H:56] %96J 2C6 @G2= D92A65 2?5 A@:?E65 @? E96 6?5[ D>@@E9 2?5 8=@DDJ 8C66? @? E@A[ H:E9 5:DE:?4E =:89E6C 8C66? G6:?D] %96 F?56CD:56 @7 E96 =62G6D >2J 92G6 G6CJ E:?J 92:CD] {62G6D EJA:42==J 8C@H :? A2:CD @AA@D:E6 6249 @E96C 2=@?8 E96 3C2?496D[ 3FE E96J 42? 2=D@ 8C@H :? 2 H9@C= 2C@F?5 E96 DE6>[ 6DA64:2==J ?62C E96 6?5 @7 E96 3C2?49]k^Am
kAm%96 32C< @7 E9:D A=2?E G2C:6D 2D :E 86ED @=56C] *@F?8 7:G6\D:565 EH:8D 42? 36 8C66? @C C65 H9:=6 @=56C H@@5 :D 4C288J 2?5 7FCC@H65 H:E9 2 8C6J:D9\3C@H? 4@=@C]k^Am
kAm%96 =:DE @7 2?:>2=D E92E 36?67:E 7C@> 92G:?8 2 qFEE@?3FD9 2C@F?5 :D =@?8 2?5 G2C:65] (9:E6\E2:=65 566C 62E ?6H 8C@HE9 7C@> E9:D A=2?E] xE 2EEC24ED 2E =62DE ac 5:776C6?E 3:C5D[ :?4=F5:?8 z:?83:C5D[ %@H966D[ #@3:?D 2?5 5F4<D – 2?5 :D 2 72G@C:E6 7@@5 @7 |2==2C5D] (@@5 sF4<D @7E6? FD6 qFEE@?3FD9 2D 2 A=246 E@ C2:D6 E96:C 5F4<=:?8D 3642FD6 :E AC@G:56D 8@@5 4@G6C 2E E96 H2E6C’D 6586]k^Am
kAmw@?6J 366D 2C6 G6CJ 2EEC24E65 E@ qFEE@?3FD9[ H9:49 :D A=2?E65 3J D@>6 366<66A6CD] ~?6 C62D@? E9:D D9CF3 :D D@ G2=F23=6 E@ 366D :D E92E :E 3=@@>D 7@C =@?8 A6C:@5D @7 E:>6[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 962E @7 E96 DF>>6C H96? >2?J @E96C H:=57=@H6CD 5:D2AA62C] p ?F>36C @7 @E96C :?D64ED[ DF49 2D 3FEE6C7=:6D[ >@E9D 2?5 ?2E:G6 366D[ 2=D@ FD6 qFEE@?3FD9 ?64E2C] k^Am
kAmx7 J@F H@F=5 =:<6 >@C6 k6>mw@CE@? w62CD 2 (9@Pk^6>m 7=@H6CD 2=@?8 J@FC D9@C6=:?6[ qFEE@?3FD9 42? 36 AC@A282E65 3J D:>A=J E2<:?8 4FEE:?8D 7C@> @?6 D9CF3 2?5 AFD9:?8 E96 4FE 6?5 @7 E96 EH:8 :?E@ >@:DE D@:=[ H96C6 :E H:== E2<6 C@@E] %9:D :D 2 A=2?E E92E 5@6D ?@E 5@ H6== :? 2 5C@F89E[ D@ :7 J@F 5@ 49@@D6 E@ A=2?E :E 2H2J 7C@> E96 H2E6C[ >2<6 DFC6 J@FC 9@D6 H:== C6249 :E]k^Am
kAmk6>m$@>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6 42>6 7C@> E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6’D }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D r@?D6CG2E:@? $6CG:46j p=232>2 !=2?E pE=2Dj r=6>D@? &?:G6CD:EJ’D r@==686 @7 p8C:4F=EFC6[ u@C6DECJ 2?5 {:76 $4:6?46D 2?5 q66 rF=EFC6 |282K:?6]k^6>mk^Am



