Ceanothus (California Lilac)

Ceanothus, commonly known as California Lilac, offers almost everything a gardener could wish for in a shrub: free flowering, lovely foliage, ease of cultivation, drought, and salt tolerance. Fast-growing, these desirable shrubs draw attention with their stunning flowers. When a California Lilac bursts into bloom, it is a breathtaking sight to behold. Evergreen or deciduous, mounding or prostrate, they are easy to grow, tolerate drought, heat, and seacoast conditions, and grow well in most soils as long as they are well-drained.

• Belonging to the Rhamnaceae family, Ceanothus is a large genus including over 60 species of diverse and beautiful shrubs or small trees. Native from North America, mostly from California, Ceanothus reward us with masses of fluffy flower panicles in the rarest color in nature, blue. Ranging from azure, cobalt, and indigo to ultramarine, a wide variety of tints and shades are available. A few cultivars are available in white or pink.
• Sweetly fragrant, the flowers are produced from mid-spring to the onset of winter, depending on the varieties. While most Ceanothus bloom in spring, some produce their charming flowers in summer, others in the fall. If you select the right Ceanothus varieties, you could enjoy the beauty of their dazzling blooms across most seasons!
• The pretty flowers contrast vividly with the foliage that tends to be dark glossy green in most varieties. The ovate leaves can be small to medium in size, mostly with serrated edges. Many of the very drought-tolerant species have spiny, holly-like leaves.