Plant of the Month

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PLANT of the MONTH ~~ MARCH, 2006
updated on or about the 1st of each month

CEANOTHUS

Common Name(s): Ceanothus, California Lilac, Wild Lilac, Soap Bush, Mountain Lilac, Blue Blossom

Scientific Name: Ceanothus species

Family: Buckthorn (Rhamnaceae)

Plant Type: evergreen or deciduous shrub, or small tree

Size: 5 to 20 feet high

Common Habitat: Chaparral, ridges, slopes, woodland, coastal scrub

There are six species of Ceanothus that can be found in the Santa Monica mountains, and about ten times that number of varieties are able to be grown in California. Our natives bloom from January to May. Flower colors range from white to various shades of blue, and are found in clusters. Subtle yet conspicuous, whole hillsides lighten up in the spring when these plants are in bloom.

Characteristically, Ceanothus need good drainage, tolerate cold, heat, and wind, are adapted to fire, and are generally low maintenance. If you have ever done trail maintenance that involved cutting this plant, you may remember the sharp spines on its branches; Ceanothus means spiny plant in Greek. The common name of "Soap Bush" is earned because the flowers of some varieties will develop a lather when rubbed with water.

The following chart gives some distinguishing characteristics of the six kinds native to our mountains.

Common name	Species	Flowers	Bloom Time	Other characteristics
Big-Pod Ceanothus	Ceanothus megacarpus	white	Jan-Apr	very common especially on southern or coastal slopes; gray-brown bark with fluted trunk; oval leaves; fruit is horned; in mid-summer seedpods explode, ejecting seedpods that are its means of reproducing after a fire
Greenbark Ceanothus, Redheart Ceanothus	Ceanothus spinosis	light blue to white	Feb-May	Smooth green bark; especially spiny; open-branched or tree-like form; smooth, shiny leaves; fruit is not horned
Hairy-Leaf Ceanothus	Ceanothus oliganthus	deeper blue	Feb-Apr	prefers higher, shadier or coastal locations; reddish-tinted branches with tree-like trunk; leaves larger than other varieties, oval, jagged with terminal points; fruit is not horned
Hoary-Leaved Ceanothus	Ceanothus crassifolius	white	Jan-Apr	tough plant tolerant of extreme temperatures and drought; open-branched; small, thick, toothed leaves; fruit is horned
Buckbrush	Ceanothus cuneatus	white	Feb-May	prefers inland over the coast; erect shrub; wedge-shaped leaves; fruit is horned
White Thorn	Ceanothus leucodermis	white to blue	Apr-Jun	not very common; pale green smooth bark; white powdery coating on top of shiny, oval-pointed leaves; fruit is not horned

Contributed by Liz Baumann

ARCHIVES of past Plants of the Month:
February 2006: Wild Peony (Paeonia californica)
January 2006: Purple Nightshade (Solanum xanti)
December 2005: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)