Ranger's Buttons is a perennial plant in the carrot family native to California, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon typically found in moist habitats such as meadows, stream banks, and wetlands. It is highly photogenic in the late summer with its button-like white flowers that form 4” wide umbels atop a stout, erect stem that can reach 6’ high. Plant in the full sun to partial shade in average moist soils. Its nectar attracts bees and butterflies and is a larval host plant for the Anise Swallowtail butterfly so it would make an excellent addition to a pollinator garden if you can find it, it is not widely sold in the industry. This plant can be distinguished from other white-flowered members of the carrot family which usually have flatter umbellets that are adjacent or overlap. It is considered toxic to all livestock but is rarely eaten and can cause photosensitivity if brushed up against.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Lobed
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Ternate (3 leaves) or pinnate sparsely toothed or irregularly lobed.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Ornamental white spherical inflorescence that is a 4 inch across tight compound umbel made of between 4-18 umbellets that look like fuzzy buttons protruding from hairy stems. The tiny white flowers change from pinkish-purple buds to pure white flowers which later fade to light purple. The button-like flower is about 1/2 inch in diameter and blooms in July - August.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Fruit is oblong to round, flattened, glabrous to hairy with prominent winged ribs.
Stem color
Green; White
Stem detail
The stout, erect, smooth stem turns hairy within the inflorescence.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Western North America, California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho
Distribution
Wetlands of the northwest United States
Wildlife value
Bees and butterflies nectar at this plant. Larval host plant for Anise Swallowtail butterfly.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators
Host plant for
Anise Swallowtail butterfly
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Pond; Riparian
Landscape theme
Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden
Garden tags
#wet soils tolerant #showy flowers #nectar plant late summer #white flowers #butterfly friendly #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #herbaceous perennial #bee friendly #wildlife friendly
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses