1. CA Native Plants for Western L.A. County Gardens – Ceanothus
I
Scientific Name
Size
Flower/
season
Catalina
Ceanothus
<20 ft. t
8-10 ft w
Blue/Sp
‘Ray Hartman’
Ceanothus
To 20 ft t
10-15 w
Lt. blue/Sp
FS
Any
White/Sp
FS
Welldrained
10-15 ft t
6-10 ft w
Blue/Sp +
FS/PS
FS
Common Name
Light**
Soil
Water
Zone+
Availability
Notes
Trees and Tree-like Large Shrubs
X Ceanothus arboreus
** Ceanothus ‘Ray
Hartman’
FS/PS
Any welldrained
1
1, 3, 7, 9, 14,
19
1, 6, 9, 13
Spreading;
evergreen;
good for garden
1, 3, 8, 10, 13,
16, 21, 24
Showy in spring
3, 8, 20, 24
Tolerates heat;
may be shortlived (10+ yr)
1-2
3, 6, 13,
Good for coastal
gardens
1 to 2
3, 13, 16
Drought decid;
glossy leaves
1, 3, 8, 10, 13,
14, 20
Very showy;
open growth
1-2 to 2-3
Large Shrubs (> 6 ft tall; including those for screens and hedges)
X
* Ceanothus cuneatus
var. cuneatus
X * Ceanothus cyaneus
** Ceanothus ‘Sierra
Blue’ C. cyaneus X ?
* Ceanothus
x
integerrimus
X
* Ceanothus
leucodermis
X Ceanothus megacarpus
** Ceanothus ‘Concha’
Ceanothus papillosus var.
roweanus X C. impressus
Ceanothus impressus x
papillosus ‘Dark Star’
Ceanothus spinosus
** Ceanothus
thyrsiflorus ‘Skylark’
** Ceanothus
X thyrsiflorus 'Snow
Flurry'
X
Wedgeleaf
Ceanothus
San Diego/
Lakeside
Ceanothus
‘Sierra Blue’
Ceanothus
4-10 ft tall
6-8 ft w
10-15 ft
tall & wide
Dark blue/
Sp
Deerbrush
3-6+ ft t
White/Sp
FS/PS
Chaparral
Whitethorn
8-12 ft t
10 ft wide
Lt. bluewhite/Sp
FS
Big-pod Ceanothus
To 12 ft
tall
Whitelavender/ Sp
‘Concha’
Ceanothus
4-6 ft. tall
& wide
Dark Blue/
Sp
‘Dark Star’
Ceanothus
Redheart
(Greenbark)
Ceanothus
‘Skylark’
Ceanothus
6-8 ft high
5-8 ft wide
Dk blue/ WSp
8-20 ft tall
& wide
White/
3-6 ft t
Lt blue/Sp
FS/PS
Any incl
clay
2
1, 3, 6, 13
‘Snowflurry’
Ceanothus
6-10 ft t
10 ft w
White/Sp
FS/PS
Any welldrained
2
1, 3, 6, 9, 13,
14
FS/PS
Many
Welldrained
Any
Sandy/
rocky
Any welldrained
1-2
1-2 to 2
1 to 1-2
1
FS/PS
Most
1-2 to 2
FS
Any
1-2
PS (FS on
coast)
Clays
1 to 1-2
1, 3, 10, 13,
14, 16
3, 6, 8, 9, 14,
24,
Alkali & garden
tolerant
1, 3, 9, 13, 14,
24
Hedge; best
nearer coast
3, 8, 11, 13,
14, 20, 21 28
Good for
informal hedge
Dense;
shrubby; fast
1
2. Scientific Name
Common Name
Size
Flower/
season
* Ceanothus
tomentosus var.
olivaceus
Wooly-leaf
Ceanothus
6-12 ft t
4-8 ft w
Blues/Sp
FS
Sandy or
rocky
1-2
** Ceanothus arboreus
x thrysiflorus ‘Frosty Blue’
I
‘Frosty Blue’
Ceanothus
6-10 ft t
8 ft wide
Med blue/
W-Sp
FS/PS
Welldrained,
sandy
2
White Coast (Wartstemmed) Ceanothus
‘Blue Window’
Ceanothus
‘Tassajara’
Ceanothus
5-8 ft tall
4-6 ft wide
White/
FS
10-15 ft t
8-10 ft w
Med Blue/
FS
To 8 ft t
5-8 ft w
Lt. blue/ Sp
* Ceanothus verrucosus
** Ceanothus ‘Blue
Window’
** Ceanothus
‘Tassajara Blue’
Light**
Soil
Water
Zone+
Availability
1, 13, 14
1, 3, 6, 13
Notes
Upright;
evergreen;
heavy bloomer
Dense;
evergreen;
prune or hedge
1-2
Sandy
best
3, 6, 14, 20
Dense foliage
1-2
1, 13
Dense;
evergreen
1, 13
Can be hedged
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2
Smaller Shrubs ( < 6 ft. tall) ; includes woody sub-shrubs
* Ceanothus greggii
Desert Ceanothus
4-6 ft tall
4-6 ft wide
White/Sp
FS
Welldrained
1-2
3, 20, 21
1-2
1, 3, 7, 8, 13
- to +/-
1, 3, 7, 8, 13,
19
Fragrant
flowers
Perennial/Woody Groundcover Plants
* * Ceanothus “Joyce
Coulter’
Joyce Coulter
Ceanothus
2-3 ft tall
10 ft wide
Blue/W-Sp
PS
Any
** Ceanothus ‘Dark
Star’
Dark Star
Ceanothus
Centennial
Ceanothus
To 6+ ft
To 6 ft
Dk. Blue/
W-Sp
FS
Welldrained
1 ft tall
4-10 ft w
Dk Blue/Sp
FS (coast)
/ PS
* Ceanothus gloriosus
Point Reyes
Ceanothus
1-2 ft tall
to 8 ft wide
Lt. blue/Sp
FS (coast)
/ PS
** Ceanothus gloriosus
‘Anchor Bay’
** Ceanothus gloriosus
‘Blue Jeans’
Anchor Bay
Ceanothus
‘Blue Jeans’
Ceanothus
< 1 ft tall
to 8 ft wide
Dk blue/Sp
FS (coast)
/ PS
6 ft tall &
wide
Lavender/Sp
** Ceanothus gloriosus
‘Heart’s Desire’
Heart’s Desire
Ceanothus
1-3 ft tall
4-6 ft wide
Dk blue/
FS (coast)
/ PS
* Ceanothus griseus
horizontalis
Carmel Creeper
Ceanothus
1-3 ft tall
5-15 ft w
Lt. blue/
** Ceanothus griseus
horizontalis ‘Yankee Point’
Yankee Point
Ceanothus
To 4-5 ft
To 10 ft
Med. Blue/
* * Ceanothus ‘Centennial’
X
Fs/PS
Welldrained
Welldrained;
sandy
any
Most,
incl alkali
C. impressus X
papillosus;
mounding
C. impressus X
papillosus
1-2
3, 7, 9, 19
C. griseus X C.
foliosus; sm leaf
2-3
3
Dense foliage;
holly-like
1-2 to 2-3
8, 9, 19
Dense, compact
1-2 to 2
3, 6, 14
Informal hedge,
groundcover
Any
1-2 to 2-3
8
FS/PS
Any incl.
clays
1-2 to 2-3
1, 3, 8, 13
FS (coast)
/ PS
Any incl.
clays
1-2 to 2-3
1, 3, 8, 13, 19
Best near coast;
fast grower
2
3. Scientific Name
Common Name
Size
Flower/
season
** Ceanothus griseus
'Kurt Zadnik'
Kurt Zadnick
Ceanothus
3-4 ft
8-10 ft
Dk purple/
FS
** Ceanothus griseus
‘Santa Ana’
‘Santa Ana’
Ceanothus
5 ft tall &
wide
Dk blue/Sp
* Ceanothus hearstiorum
Hearst’s
Ceanothus
1 ft tall
6-8 ft wide
* Ceanothus maritimus
I
Maritime (Bluff)
Ceanothus
Frosty Dawn
Ceanothus
Point Sierra
Ceaonothus
** Ceanothus maritimus
‘Frosty Dawn’
** Ceanothus maritimus
‘Point Sierra’
** Ceanothus maritimus
‘Popcorn’
** Ceanothus rigidus
‘Snowball’
* Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
X
var. repens
Popcorn Ceanothus
‘Snowball’
Ceanothus
Creeping
Blueblossom
Light**
Soil
Water
Zone+
Availability
Notes
More reliable
than ‘Yankee
Point’
Any
1-2 to 2
13
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2
3, 8
Blue/W-Sp
PS
Any incl
clays
1 to 1-2
3, 7, 8, 16, 19
1-3 ft tall
3-8 ft wide
Whitelavender/
FS (coast)
/ PS
Any incl
clays
1-2
1-2 ft tall
4 ft wide
Dk. blue/Sp
FS (coast)
/ PS
Any
1 to 1-2
8, 19
Sm. dark leaves
1-3 ft tall
4-6 ft wide
Med.
Blue/W-Sp
FS/PS
Any
1 to 1-2
3, 8, 19
Dense; more
drought tolerant
2-3 ft tall
6 ft wide
White/W-Sp
1, 8, 13
Low & dense;
best on coast
2-5 ft tall
4-6 ft wide
White/Sp
3, 6
Under oaks
1-3 ft tall
6-10 ft
Blue/W-Sp
3, 6, 8,
FS (coast)
/ PS
Welldrained
1-2
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2
FS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2-3
Dense foliage
Sandy
best
1-2 to 2-3
Dark leaves
Welldrained
1-2 to 2-3
3, 8, 9
** Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
var. repens ‘Ken Taylor’
Ken Taylor
Ceanothus
1 ft tall
Dk Blue/
W-Sp
** Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
var. repens ‘Louis
Edmunds’
** Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
‘Skylark’
Louis Edmunds
Ceanothus
1-2 ft tall
6-10 ft w
Med. Blue/
Skylark Ceanothus
4-5 ft tall
4-7 ft wide
Med Blue/Sp
FS/PS
Any, incl.
clays
1-2 to 2-3
6, 8, 13, 19
** Ceanothus ‘Wheeler
Canyon’
Wheeler Canyon
Ceanothus
4-6 ft tall
to 8 ft wide
Dk Blue/Sp
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2-3
6, 8, 9, 11, 19
** Ceanothus ‘Joan Mirov’
C. foliosus X C. griseus
** Ceanothus ‘Joyce
Coulter’ - ? Ceanothus
‘Joan Mirov’
Ceanothus
3-6 ft tall
8-12 ft w
Dk blue/Sp
FS/PS
Welldrained
1-2 to 2
‘Joyce Coulter’
Ceanothus
2-3 ft tall
6-12 ft w
Med blue/Sp
FS/PS
Most
papillosus var. roweanus X
C. thyrsiflorus
Sticky; matlike; best near
coast
Dark holly-like
leaves; best
near coast
FS/PS
FS (coast)
/ PS
1-2 to 2-3
13, 14
3, 6, 13, 24
Much confusion
with name
Quite shade &
water toleratant
Dark leaves; ?
Ceanothus
papillosus var.
roweanus hybrid
Afternoon
shade; coastal
Prune to keep
low
3
4. I
Scientific Name
** Ceanothus ‘Wheeler
Canyon’ - ? Ceanothus
papillosus var. roweanus
hybrid
Common Name
Size
Flower/
season
‘Wheeler Canyon’
Ceanothus
4-6 ft tall
to 8 ft wide
Dk Blue/Sp
Light**
FS/PS
Soil
Welldrained
Water
Zone+
1-2 to 2-3
Availability
Notes
6, 8, 9, 11, 19
Dark leaves;
1/10/12
I : X = Gardening Information Sheet :(http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants.html) or at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center
* may not be immediately local, but is a CA native plant
++
+
** horticultural cultivar
light: FS=full sun; PS=part shade; FSH=full shade
Water Zones: 1 = no summer water; 1-2 = very occasional summer water (several times per summer); 2 = let soil dry out between waterings;
2-3 some regular summer water (about once a week); 3 = regular watering/moist soil (like a conventional lawn)
Availability: numbers correspond to the Plant and Seed Sources List at: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/where-to-purchase-native-plants.html
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