Maritime Ceanothus is a woody shrub native to San Luis Obispo County, California. It grows 1-3 feet tall and 5-6 feet wide in a sprawling to mounded shape. The shrub produces clusters of small, fragrant blue to white flowers in early spring and is well-suited for coastal gardens as a groundcover. Several cultivated varieties are selected for darker or lighter flower colors and more compact growth. Maritime Ceanothus thrives in full sun with well-draining soil and occasional summer watering. It attracts wildlife and requires little maintenance other than pruning after blooming and applying a mulch.

1. * Maritime Ceanothus – Ceanothus maritimus
(see-an-OH-thus muh-RIT-tim-mus )
Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)
Native to: Endemic to San Luis Obispo County, near Hearst Ranch (rare); on old ocean beaches and
bluffs in clay/hard pan or sandy/rocky soils. Area gets 20-30” of precipitation, summer fog.
woody shrub/ground-cover mature height: 1-3 ft. mature width: 5-6 ft.
Low-growing evergreen woody shrub with red (young) to gray bark. Habit is sprawling to mounded.
Leaves are shiny green (woolly beneath), wedge-shaped, sometimes with holly-like edges.
Growth characteristics:
Blooms in early spring – usually Feb-Apr. Flowers are clusters of the small, sweetly
fragrant blossoms typical of Ceanothus. Flower color varies from deep blue to almost white. Showy!
Blooms/fruits:
Uses in the garden: A nice groundcover, particularly with other north/central coast species like
Arctostaphylos hearstiorum, Ceanothus (C. hearstiorum, thyrsiflorus, griseus), propstrate
Adenostoma fasciculatum and Baccharis pilularis, Salvia mellifera and Diplacus aurantiacus. Cultivar
‘Frosty Dawn’ has darker flowers; 'Point Sierra' has smaller leaves (like cotoneaster) and lavender
flowers; ‘Popcorn’ has near-white flowers and; ‘Valley Violet’ is a mounded shrub (4 ft x 4 ft) with
intense violet-colored flowers. Cultivars were all selected for garden use.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native woody shrubs like Cotoneaster or woody ground covers.
Attracts: Good habitat plant: provides cover, nectar and seeds for food.
Requirements:
Element
Sun
Soil
Water
Fertilizer
Other
Requirement
Full sun on the coast; afternoon shade further inland.
Fairly adaptable – likes clay soils; local pH fine.
Needs some summer water – Zone 2 or 2-3; hose of leaves in dry periods
None needed.
Use an organic mulch like wood chips or bark mulch.
Plants don’t like to be moved, so place carefully. Prune after blooming in the
spring. Prune as little as possible – and never prune branches more than pencil diameter.
Management:
Propagation: from seed: hot water/cold moist treat
by cuttings: soft or semi-soft wood
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14
1/30/12
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