Buttonbush, Honey Bells, Honeyball, Button Willow 'Sugar Shack'

So this cultivar does tolerate wetter soil. That’s about all I can say positive about it. It’s a dull plant for me. Flat, unmemorable...Read More leaves become riddled with spots and foliage diseases by early fall. It rarely blooms. There is no spectacular fall color, just disease and sadness until the leaves desiccate from cold weather. It has a weedy, rangy shape that no amount of pruning would improve. It sees very little activity from any wildlife. It’s just been a big disappointment other than it hasn’t outright died yet. I’m going to remove it to make room for a native shrub of some kind that actually seems to benefit a few critters and isn’t quite so ugly.

Planted this cultivar four years ago in fall in soil that gets seasonal winter wet in a mostly sunny location where many other things did...Read More not succeed due to winter wet. I have not allowed it to dry out during summer. When I received it in the mail it was a well rooted cutting sent in a 2" tube. It is now about 3' high and 2' wide. Most of the growth took place this growing season and there are a few flower buds which may not reach maturity. The leaves, a nice, fresh green have looked good every year while getting established. This spring I took a cutting from a vigorous shoot, rooted it in water in the house (it rooted very quickly), planted it in potting soil in a gallon pot, and kept it well watered outside (in shade at first). It established well in the pot and began growing with the roots established well enough to hold the soil together. Just planted it in a sunny well watered, winter wet location where many other things did not succeed again due to winter wet. The rabbits have not touched it and has not been bothered by slugs. This is a dwarf variety.