Grow billy buttons in full sun and soil that drains. It is also sold as drumstick flower. Pycnosorus globosus is the same plant. It is not a drumstick allium.
Give it full sun and soil that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun all day | Do not grow it in shade |
| Water | Water when the top of the soil is dry; after the plant is set, it can take a dry spell | Do not keep the soil soggy |
| Soil | Gritty soil that drains | Do not plant it in a wet low spot |
| Season | An open summer bed; sow again after a hard freeze | Do not count on a wet winter stand |
Billy buttons want an open, sunny bed and soil that drains. Wet ground around the roots is the primary cause of rot, so a low clay pocket is a poor site. [1] billy buttons is Craspedia globosa, a tuft of grassy silver leaves with one golden globe on each wiry stem. Give it sun and average soil that drains. [2] Water when the top of the soil is dry. After the plant is set, it can take heat and a dry spell, so a weekly flood is not the job. [3] [4] Start seed on Planting Billy Buttons. Cut stems and hang them on Harvesting Billy Buttons.
How much sun do billy buttons need?
Give them full sun all day. Shade makes weak stems and fewer globes.
How often do I water billy buttons?
Water when the top of the soil is dry. After the plant is set, it can take a dry spell. Soggy soil is the primary cause of root rot.
Do billy buttons come back every year?
They are a tender perennial. Where winters stay mild and the soil drains, the clump can return. After a hard freeze, sow again in spring.
Not a drumstick allium, yellow buttons, or bachelor's button
Drumstick allium is a fall-planted onion bulb with egg-shaped purple heads. If the bag is a bulb, read How to Grow Alliums. Drumstick primrose is a spring primula with a round head on a short stem — read How to Grow Primroses.
Yellow buttons are Chrysocephalum, a low everlasting daisy, not this tall golden globe. Read How to Grow Yellow Buttons. Bachelor's button on a U.S. tag is usually cornflower or globe amaranth — read How to Grow Cornflower or How to Grow Globe Amaranth. Strawflower is a papery daisy on leafy stems; hang those on How to Dry Strawflowers. Drumstick tree is Moringa, a vegetable tree with long pods, not this flower.
Is billy buttons the same as drumstick allium?
No. Billy buttons are a daisy-family plant with golden globes. Drumstick allium is an onion bulb with purple heads.
If the bed stays wet or shaded, move the next sowing to a hot, draining spot before frost.
FAQ
Is there more than one kind of billy buttons?
Craspedia globosa is the plant here. Named forms sold for cutting want the same sun, drainage, and surface sowing.
Can I grow it in a pot?
A pot with a drainage hole can hold one plant outdoors in full sun. Use a gritty mix, and never leave the pot standing in a saucer of water.
Can I grow it indoors as a houseplant?
No. Keep it outdoors in full sun. A dim room will not make flowers.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Royal Horticultural Society -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/128737/craspedia-globosa/details - [2] Johnny's Selected Seeds -
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/flowers/craspedia-drumstick-flower/craspedia-drumstick-flower-key-growing-information.html - [3] Select Seeds -
https://www.selectseeds.com/products/billy-buttons-seeds - [4] San Marcos Growers -
https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=459
This note is part of Craspedia Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors