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CEANOTHUS. Wild lilac. North America, Mexico. Some of our showiest evergreen, native shrubs and trees are included in this group. Equally beautiful though little recognized in California are some hardy, deciduous shrubs of the eastern U.S. and their hybrids. The wild lilacs have extremely variable leaves—often shiny, often toothed or textured. Those of the subgenus Cerastes are often leathery and holly-like. The flowers are individually tiny but borne in sometimes massive clusters, appearing mostly in spring in the Californian species, summer and fall in the “easterners”. Flower colors range from white to deep true-blue, violet and even pink. Sun, well drained soil, and little watering when established, except as noted. Both cold and heat tolerances vary considerably.

‘Dark Star’, introduced by the late Ken Taylor, is an extremely dense, small-leaved shrub growing about 6' by 12'. It is covered by masses of cobalt blue flowers in spring. I have found it less disease-prone than the similar and better-known ‘Julia Phelps’. About 15oF.

x delilianus ‘Gloire de Versailles’. This is a hybrid derived from C. americanus, a widespread eastern species, and C. coeruleus from Mexico. It is a vigorous, widely branched shrub growing 8' or more high. It has broad 2-4" leaves, dark green above, pale beneath. For many weeks in summer it carries large, branched clusters of sky blue flowers.

foliosus ‘Berryhill’. Wavyleaf ceanothus. My own selection from the wild, quite unlike any other available Ceanothus in appearance. It is mounding in habit, growing to probably 2-3'. Its slender, wiry stems are lined with tiny, very glossy leaves. It is decorated in spring by little round clusters of brilliant blue blossoms. Best on dry banks and probably intolerant of regular garden watering. 10oF or less.

‘Frosty Blue’. One of the best introductions by the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. It is a round shrub or small tree of 8-12' (or more?) with beautifully textured, shiny leaves. Its masses of bright blue flowers contrast with white bud-scales to give a frosted appearance. Relatively tolerant of heavy soils and routine watering. Probably around 15oF.

gloriosus, Pt. Reyes ceanothus, is a widely spreading, ground cover for coastal climates. The traditional unnamed selection has unusually lush growth and dark green, noticeably toothed leaves. Its flower clusters are dense but pale. ‘Anchor Bay’, introduced by the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation, has thicker, more rigid branches, stiffer leaves and darker flowers. ‘Heart's Desire’ is a recent selection by Phil van Soelen of California Flora Nursery. It is low and dense, with relatively small, glossy leaves. None of these are recommended where summers are hot. 0-10oF.

hearstiorum. Found only in the area of the Hearst Ranch, this is quite atypical of the group in habit—absolutely flat on the ground, and spreading symmetrically to a diameter of 6' or more. The leaves are dark green, narrow and somewhat puckered in surface. One of the neatest of the ceanothus for ground cover, though possibly not tolerant of much summer heat (results have been mixed). Probably 15oF.

impressus. Santa Barbara ceanothus. This is an extremely variable species, the plants growing up to 5' high and often widely spreading. It has sturdy, closely branched main trunks and stiff but slender, often reddish stems. These are thickly clad with crinkled, deep green leaves, usually 1/2" long or less. In spring it makes a dazzling display of true-blue to lavender or violet blossoms in short, dense clusters. It is rapidly disappearing in the wild as new stretches of the southern coast are bulldozed for development. ‘Vandenberg’ is one of several selections I made on the Air Force base of that name during a salvage operation in the early 80s. It is a dwarf plant, probably under 3' high and 5-6' broad even in old age. It has small, bright blue flower clusters. A much larger and older selection, once assigned to this species but possibly a hybrid, is ‘Puget Blue’. It has been grown successfully in the Northwest and is considered one of the hardiest and most garden tolerant of the “warty-leaved” ceanothus. It has attractively arching branches and clouds of bright lavender-blue flowers. 10-15oF.

‘Joan Mirov’. One of the best of many recent introductions by Roger Raiche at the U.C. Botanic Garden in Berkeley. Thus far it has grown about 4' tall, 10' wide in various landscapes. It may be even larger in time, but certainly has great potential as a large scale bank cover. The slender stems are neatly lined by very dark, shiny 1/2” leaves. Deep blue flower clusters blanket the plant in spring. It appears to be one of the most disease resistant of the ceanothus tried to date.

‘Joyce Coulter’. One of the old standards among the ceanothus, somewhat eclipsed by newer selections but still a valuable landscaping shrub. It normally grows 4-5' tall and at least 8' wide. Large, nearly rectangular leaves, deeply textured but lacquered in surface, are closely set along the stems. Flowers are only a medium true blue in color (how jaded we've become with so many selections to choose from), but abundant. The most striking features of this plant are the foliage and exceptionally good response to any degree of pruning, even hedging.

‘Julia Phelps’. Even the most discriminating native plant buffs are sometimes hard put to distinguish this old timer from ‘Dark Star’, described above. It is similarly large (6' by 12' or even more, if left to its own devices), dense and small-leaved. The leaves are perhaps just a little darker, and the flowers just a touch more purple in color. Both make a dazzling spring display. Both are, unfortunately, among the touchier and shorter-lived of the popular hybrids.

maritimus. Hoover ceanothus. I was once enthusiastic about a selection of this species from U. C. Davis, but found few interested customers, though it performed very well in the landscape. Two recent selections by David Fross, Native Sons Nursery, seem to have more commercial promise. Both are compact, creeping shrubs with small, closely packed leaves somewhat resembling those of C. gloriosus. They are greyish green above, nearly white with wool beneath. Both have dense, short flower clusters along the younger stems. The flowers of ‘Pt. Sierra’ are blue-violet in color, while those of ‘Frosty Dawn’ are of a soft lavender shade. Both are excellent small to medium scale ground covers for open banks. 15oF or less.

x pallidus ‘Marie Simon’.  x pallidus is a group allegedly resulting from the further crossing of x delilianus with Ceanothus ovatus, an eastern species. The results are similar, with a wide range of plant sizes and flower colors. ‘Marie Simon’ is one of the most beautiful. This is a bushy shrub, growing 6-9' high and over 10' wide, with dark closely spaced leaves. It blooms nearly throughout the summer for us, with long lasting clusters of pink flowers, paler in hot weather and deeper beneath the clouds.

‘Ray Hartman’. Still a great favorite after many years, this is a vigorous, roundish tree of 10-20', with large, heavily veined leaves and masses of bright blue flowers opening from pink buds. It is one of the most tolerant of ordinary garden conditions. About 15oF.

thyrsiflorus, Blue blossom, is one of the larger ceanothus, often becoming a small tree. It is distinguished by bright green stems, shiny leaves and usually large, compound clusters of deep true blue or lavender to white blossoms. One of our selections, ‘San Andreas’, is fairly typical of the species. The parent is a 15' tree with much the form of a small live oak. The 1-2" leaves are heavily lacquered in surface, and the large, abundant flower clusters are bright true-blue in color. Of the atypical selections, ‘Arroyo de la Cruz’ is low and mounding (around 4' by 6-10') and has exceptionally bright, shiny leaves and medium-blue flowers. ‘Snow Flurry’ varies from a 6' shrub to a 20' tree, according to heat, drought and fertility. It has extremely bright, shiny leaves and masses of pure white flowers. 10-15oF.

‘Wheeler Canyon’. A recent introduction by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. It is similar to ‘Concha’ in habit, growing around 6' in height and broader than tall. The sturdy stems are closely lined by 2" narrow, textured leaves, dark green in color. In spring it bears an abundance of bright true-blue blossoms in crowded clusters. Thus far it has exhibited good tolerance of heavier soils and routine watering, as well as of summer drought. Probably 15-18oF.