Button-Bush is an large woody shrub with showy, fragrant ball-shaped flower heads that give rise to one of its common names of Honeyball. Grows best in sunny areas. Grows fastest in moist soil near a pond, but often grows in shallow standing water.

The seeds are eaten by numerous water birds and the fragrant flowers are a favorite nectar source for butterflies.

Occurs naturally from California to Mexico, east to Florida and North to Quebec and Nova Scotia.