All aerial parts, including the seeds, are edible. The young leaves are harvested before the plant comes into flower and are used in salads, soups etc. They can also be used as a vegetable, cooked like spinach. The leaves are best cooked. Flowers and seed pods are dried, ground into powder and used as a flour or sprinkled on cooked foods such as boiled rice. Very wholesome and nutritious. The young flowers can also be used in salads. Root - cooked. The dried leaves impart a vanilla flavour to cakes etc. Dried flowering heads are a tea substitute. However, it is highly advised if you have never eaten these before to start with a very small quantity. Clovers can cause mild or severe gas.
Medicinally an infusion has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds, fevers and leucorrhoea. A tincture of the leaves is applied as an ointment to gout. An infusion of the flowers has been used as an eyewash.
Button Bush at the beach in Colchester, Vt. Cephalanthus occidentalis L., Common buttonbush, Buttonbush, Button willow, is a shrub whose flowers are distinctive, dense, spherical clusters (heads) with a fringe of pistils protruded beyond the white corollas. This distant relative of coffee (family Rubiaceae) grows in wetland areas. Ducks and other waterfowl eat the seeds.
