Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Victoria'

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Victoria'

Common name: California lilac

Family: Rhamnaceae

Leaf: leathery, lustrous, shiny, green foliage with deep venation, alternate

Flowers: dark, cobalt blue flowers, appearing on dense, showy panicles in late spring

Habit: evergreen shrub; From: rounded

Height: up to 9'; Spread: 10-12' wide

Culture: Hardy to USDA zones 8-10 (though not very hardy in British Columbia). Best grown in full sun, in well-drained soil. Seems to exhibit drought tolerance once established. Does not like wet feet- ensure that there is good drainage. In its native range, it tolerates a fair amount of drought- best to avoid too much watering especially late in the season, as this will promote late growth that may get burned in the wintertime. prune/shape/shear after flowering. Can be sheared into dense hedges, screens, etc. Bees love the flowers.

Uses: as a solo specimen, sheared into conical shrubs, sheared into hedge, screens, etc.

Origin: Garden Origin (though C. thyrsiflorus is native to chapparal habitat in Califonia)