Description

Blueblossom grows in the coastal mountains from Baja to Oregon and beyond. It is the dominant ceanothus on the Pacific side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is one of the most commonly planted species of ceanothus, in part because of its attractive foliage and bloom and in part because of its great variability. A plant might be a low and mounding shrub, or a medium sized tree of 25 feet or more. If there is a typical form for a seed-grown blueblossom it is an upright, spreading shrub to 12 feet in height and width. The large, sky-blue flowers appear in mid-spring. Plant blueblossom in fairly well-draining soil with some protection from the afternoon sun. After the plant is established, it is best to withhold all supplemental irrigation (“naturalize”). Irrigation will shorten the life of a ceanothus.