Cephalanthus occidentalis Moonlight Fantasy

The Cephalanthus occidentalis 'Moonlight Fantasy', now renamed 'Magical Moonlight', is a deciduous bush of beautiful stature, unique for its summer flowering in the form of small white, melliferous and fragrant balls. It also stands out in autumn with the very pale yellow colour of its foliage. This uncommon plant is reserved for cool to wet areas, especially for vegetating a natural bank or pond's surroundings.

Also known as Buttonbush or Blackwood, the Western Cephalanthus is native to North and Central America. It is a plant of the Rubiaceae family, like gardenias. In nature, it grows on the banks of rivers in wet and fertile soils. It is a deciduous species highly resistant to cold (-20 °C) that loses its foliage in late autumn.

The Cephalanthus 'Moonlight Fantasy' is a cultivar selected in Ohio for its more compact habit, its very white flowers, and its very pale autumn foliage. It is a bushy and rounded bush, wider than tall, quickly reaching 1.65 m in height and 2 m in width, on average. The leaves appear relatively late in spring. They are 10 cm long, ovate, lanceolate, shiny, of a bright green, arranged oppositely on gray-brown branches. In October, they turn very pale yellow. This bush blooms at the end of the branches between July and September, depending on the climate. Its globular inflorescences, 3 cm in diameter, are composed of multiple tubular flowers with a prominent pistil. They exhale a sweet honey scent. It is a nectariferous and melliferous flowering.

The 'Moonlight' Cephalanthus will be useful for stabilising the bank of a natural pond while bringing a touch of originality. It will thrive in marshy terrain or pond edges associated with Japanese irises, astilbes, or filipendulas. To accompany it, choose other shrubs for moist soil, such as the Dwarf Willow Salix purpurea 'Nana' or the Sorbaria 'Pink Hopi'.