San Francisco Botanical Garden - Gardens

Find Ceanothus in the California Native Plant Garden and in the crescent planting on the north east of the Great Lawn (3Q).

Scientific Name	Ceanothus spp.
Common Names	California Lilac, Buckbrush, Pinemat, Whitethorn, Deerbrush, Musk Brush
Family	Rhamnaceae
Plant Type	From 6 inch ground hugging shrubs to 20 ft trees; generally fast growing and drought tolerant.
Environment	Exceptionally drought tolerant plants that primarily prefer rocky, well drained soils with low nutrients. Once established, do not water in summer months or hot weather. Ceanothus is best suited to gardens where conditions match or approach those of where the plants are found in the wild.
Bloom	White, pink, or purple flower clusters early spring to mid-summer, depending on species.
Uses	An excellent and versatile landscape shrub for sunny and sometimes difficult dry locations. Many species are fragrant. Expected life span is usually 8 to 10 years in the garden, but can be replaced by cutting-grown plants. Flowers can be used as soap or shampoo. Leaves and flowers have been used to treat eczema and skin conditions, as well as rheumatism, arthritis, and to dull body pains.
More Info	A comprehensive listing of Ceanothus species and how to grow them can be found in the new book Ceanothus By David Fross and Dieter Wilken 2006 Timber Press. 272 pages. A list of all California Ceanothus, where they occur naturally, and many photos can be found on the Calflora web site. Sources of Ceanothus plants include the SFBG Society Plant Sale, or consult the California Native Plant Link Exchange

Profile Contributor: Tony Morosco

Ceanothus
California Wild Lilac

From Baja to Oregon, from the foggy sea bluffs along the Pacific Coast to the dry chaparral of the Sierra foothills, more than 50 varieties of "California Lilac" bloom each Spring in drifts of blue to lavender to cream. Some are prostrate mats hugging the cliffs, C. gloriosus, some shrubs, C. impressus, some tree-like, C. arborea. All are fragrant and mobbed by bees during blooming time.

Their myriads of tiny blossoms, really sepals, mature to become hard capsules by Fall when they burst open scattering the seeds. Most Ceanothus are evergreen, and their leaves vary widely from being a smooth lustrous green, to prickly with teeth, to the spiny "Buckbrush" – a formidable component of the chaparral. They thrive in our mediterranean climate where there is a long dry season. Over watering in a garden location threatens them. Nitrogen fixing nodules on their roots enable Ceanothus to survive drought and wildfires, from which they can stump sprout.

Gather a handful of "Blue Blossoms", add a few drops of water, and one has a fine soapy cleanser, a feature used by Native Americans who also bend the flexible stems for the circular frames of their basketry.

Available at our next plant sale