Medicinal Monday - Barbara's Buttons

This little known and endangered plant that is part of the sunflower family and related to daisies.  It was named in the honor of the Herbert and Moses Marshall of Pennsylvania.  They were botanists of the American colonial period.  Native Americans found several uses for this pretty perennial and elusive plant.

About Barbara's Buttons

This plant is found in open habitats such as roadsides, bogs, as well as in open woodlands and in pine forests. The typical blooming period is late May and early June.  The small white to pinkish flowers bloom in large spherical heads and attract butterflies, beetles, bees as well as other pollen-carrying insects.  The Latin name of this plant is Marshallia obovata and it is native to the southeastern and south-central portions of the United States.

Medicinal Uses

The Catawba of South Carolina use this plant to treat a variety of diseases.

Did You Know...

The flower heads resemble buttons and it is thought that this plant was named after Saint Barbara.

Some species of the Marshalia are of conservation concern.  Marshallia Grandiflora is endangered in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee and Marshallia Obovata is listed as endangered in Florida and is threatened in Tennessee.

Barbara's Buttons are also called Piedmont Barabara's Buttons and Spoon-shaped Barabara's Buttons.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.


Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.