Over the years I have gradually learned which plants tend to attract butterflies and Buttonbushes (Cephalanthus occidentalis) are one of my favorites. The plant’s spiky spherical flowers are quite distinctive and make a nice compositional element in a photo. I used to mentally associate these flowers with medieval weapons, but nowadays when people see one, they can’t help but think of the well-publicized structure of the Covid-19 virus.
Last week I spotted this Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) nectaring on a buttonbush flower at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. I was hoping that one of the Monarchs that were fluttering by would also stop to sip at one of these photogenic flowers, but the Monarchs seemed to prefer the taste of the swamp milkweed flowers.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I’ve seen swallowtails nectaring at buttonbush, and plenty of skippers, but never a monarch. I did see some buttonbush in bloom yesterday, and was a little surprised. In east Texas, it seemed to have ended its bloom.
I just did a quick look through my past blog postings with buttonbush and found photos of Pipevine Swallowtails and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, but no Monarchs. I know that Monarchs prefer milkweed, but occasionally I have seen them gather nectar from other flowers–I saw one sipping from a clover flower earlier this year–so I can dream of desirable compositions that may never happen. Our buttonbush is still out in full force here in Northern Virginia.
Nice Mike! Great Image!
Thanks, Reed.
Beautiful photo, Mike!
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Thanks, Mitzy.
Have you noticed that buttonbush flower globes have a pleasant fragrance?
I don’t think that I have ever gotten close enough to one to smell it. I guess I will nee to add that to my to-do list.
I always take the time to do that when I encounter one.
Do you stop to smell the roses too? 🙂
Occasionally, but mostly I sniff native plants. At the end of a recent post I mentioned what seems to be the original version of that phrase: https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2020/08/07/nerve-ray-and-white-heliotrope-flowers/
Thanks for the link and for the research on the phrase…somehow I missed it when you published it.
Maybe you were out smelling the roses at the time.
Industrious flutterby!
Bees and butterflies always seem to be constantly at work. I have to admire their work ethic.
I admire that too, but it does make them hard to photograph. All the more kudos for your work.
I laughed when I ready your reply, Michael, because I have a similar reaction when I see so many of your images that are so lovingly shot and hand-tweaked and I think to myself that I would never have the patience and skill to do that. 🙂
Thank you, Mike. I probably do spend as much time at the computer as I do actually shooting. I consider the shot to be just a starting point in many cases. It all seems to work, however. You, on the other hand, manage to capture these miniature critters in all their glory on a daily basis. Pretty admirable.
Very nice capture of the skipper showing off his spot, Mike! I’ve had the same thought about the similarity to the COVID rendering we keep seeing—we’ll never look at Buttonbush the same.
Thanks, Ellen. I often wonder how things will be different in our post-COVID world. Will folks return to their old ways. I agree with you that the shape of the COVID virus is now imprinted in our memories and will influence the way we perceive buttonbushes.
Me, too, and I think we can’t even imagine what life will be like, Mike. Lots of folks say they can’t wait to return to “normal” but I’m pretty sure it won’t be what we had.
Great pictures! I just discovered some Buttonbushes near me that I will have to keep an eye on!
Thanks. Around here buttonbushes are almost guaranteed to attract bees, butterflies, and other insects.
Nice shot, Mike. I’ve seen various insects on Buttonbush, even dragonflies resting, but not a single butterfly to date. Of course, most butterflies are still snoozing when I am out so that is probably my own fault. One of these days I’ll venture out in the afternoon.
Thanks. It is fascinating, Steve, how our experiences have been different. Birds and landscapes are best at dawn and at dusk, but many of the insects that I photograph enjoy the warmth of the direct sunlight.
My first thought was of the virus. I guess we’ve seen too much of that. This is much better.
I try to avoid watching too much news, Dan, but over the course of the last six months I have seen the graphic rendering of the COVID virus that its shape is imprinted in my brain.
Beautiful photo. Love the reference to medieval weapons and now, the novel coronavirus. Apparently nature – and humans – repeat patterns.
Thanks. I think that humans indeed do have a tendency, intentionally or not, to repeat patterns they find in nature.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen buttonbush growing around the cabin and it’s good to make its acquaintance. An skippers are always welcome–and often very ;challenging–stars of the show.
Skippers are always fun to photograph, but hard to identify. I was happy that the one on the buttonbush was a silver-spotted skipper, the one skipper species that I can reliably identify.
This skipper on the buttonbush makes a nice composition!
Thanks, Chris. The skipper was moving all around on the spherical flower and I took a lot of shots attempting to get that composition. Thankfully one of them met the mental image I of where I wanted the little butterfly to be–it often does not work out that well. 🙂
Don’t recall ever seeing that bush! Weird flowers!
It is so distinctive that I suspect you would remember it if you had seen it. I mostly find it in marshy areas or ponds, growing close to the water.
What a grand photo!
Thanks, Jet.