What is a common buttonbush? Meaning explained as Berkeley student Gabriel Trujillo found dead in Mexico

The common buttonbush is a flowering shrub that was the subject of Gabriel Trujillo’s research before he tragically lost his life. Trujillo, a 31-year-old PhD student, had traveled to Sonora, the second-largest state in Mexico, after crossing the border from Arizona in search of the common buttonbush. When he did not return on time, his fiancé reported him missing. Trujillo was found dead in Sonora on June 23, 2023. He was reportedly shot seven times before he died on June 19, 2023.

Trujillo was researching the properties of common buttonbush before he lost his life. The shrub is native to several states, including the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Trujillo wanted to study the reason for its ability to thrive in a diverse range of places and climates. He believed that the results of his research might assist in future habitat conservation and restoration efforts.

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Gabriel Trujillo traveled to a dangerous area in his search for the common buttonbush

Sonora has high crime rates, having reported 518 homicides in the month of May alone, as per data available from the federal government. Trujillo was, however, undeterred by his family’s concern and their plea for him not to travel to such a dangerous location. He believed that the trip was necessary for him to continue his research. As per the plant database of the University of Texas, Austin, the shrub of Trujillo's research interest is described as follows:

“Common buttonbush is a multi-stemmed shrub which grows 6-12 ft. or occasionally taller. Leaves in pairs or in threes, petiolate; blade up to 8 inches long, ovate to narrower, sometimes 1/3 or less as wide as long, with a pointed tip and rounded to tapered base, smooth margins and glossy upper surface, lower surface duller. Glossy, dark-green leaves lack significant fall color”

Trujillo chose Sonora to connect to his Opata Indigenous roots since the community’s ancestral land was in the mountainous, dry region. He reportedly wished to use his research to construct a garden in Mexico. Specifically, he wished that his research into buttonbush would aid in wetland restoration efforts. He undertook the trip that cost him his life to finalize the site for his project.

The investigation into Trujillo’s death is currently underway. UC Berkley, where Trujillo was undertaking his PhD, released a statement in which they bemoan the promising researcher’s passing.