Birds, Flora
Buttonbush
By Brennah Cavanaugh, Board Member of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary
Buttonbush is a bush with very unique looking flower clusters that are almost perfectly spherical. Its flowers are adored by pollinators of all sorts, but due to the long tube-like shape of the individual flowers in the cluster they are especially attractive to pollinators with longer tongues, like butterflies, bumble bees, and hummingbirds. (The unusual shape of the flowers make them attractive to humans, too!) It is also a host plant for several species of moths (meaning it is food for the caterpillars; most butterflies and moths will only lay their eggs on a couple species of plants) and it produces seeds that provide food for a variety of birds.
Snowberry clearwing moth
Bumble bee
Silver-spotted skipper butterfly
A couple more bumble bees – the whole bush is usually covered in bumble bees when it is in bloom!
Tiger swallowtail butterfly
Buttonbush is a wetland species and needs plenty of water and doesn’t mind regularly being flooded. We have several of them, all growing at the edges of the creek, almost in the creek, but there is one in particular that has grown quite huge. Last year we noticed a large rose bush was growing in front of it and starting to crowd it out so Sarenth and Emily worked to remove it over a couple of our workdays. This year the buttonbush is already starting to grow out into the newly opened space and we have created a path through some of the space so we can more easily maintain the area around the buttonbush and appreciate it and all the wildlife it draws.
All photos by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC
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Written by : Jean Cavanaugh
Jean Cavanaugh is the founder and steward of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, established in 2019 as a living, learning community devoted to reconnecting people with the wisdom of nature, the sacred order of creation, and the presence of Christ within all life. Her work brings together spiritual formation, ecological stewardship, ancestral wisdom, and hands-on community practice.
Through years of practical work on the land, study of the Mysteries, and the healing of her own severe health challenges through natural methods, Jean has come to recognize God’s hand at work throughout creation. Her teachings, rooted in the Mystery School tradition and Christian gnosis, explore how the patterns of heaven, earth, and the human body reveal the way back to divine presence, peace, and inner strength.
Jean leads with honesty, integrity, and a deeply welcoming spirit, inviting others to let go of inherited assumptions and rediscover truth through lived experience and embodied understanding. She works with all ages—from preschoolers to elders—offering programs and celebrations that emphasize direct engagement with nature, music, story, homesteading skills, and in-person community.
She and her family live at the 21-acre Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, where daily life reflects a commitment to simplicity, beauty, and harmony with the land. The sanctuary includes gardens, woodland trails, a seasonal creek, gathering circles, and spaces designed to nourish both people and wildlife. Jean is especially passionate about creating environments that are grounding, beautiful, and spiritually restorative.
Through her writing and teaching, Jean encourages others to know themselves, know creation, and recognize Christ as the living truth present within and around us—always inviting a return to love, beauty, and the sacred order of life.
