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Desert Ceanothus
( Ceanothus greggii )
Ceanothus greggii
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
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Estimated Plant Range (
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)
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3 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Desert Ceanothus (Ceanothus greggii)
3 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Known by the common names Mountain Buckbrush or Desert Ceanothus, it is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico where it grows in desert scrub, sagebrush, chaparral, and other dry habitat. This shrub grows erect to nearly 2 meters in maximum height. Its woody parts are gray in color and somewhat woolly. The evergreen leaves are oppositely arranged and variable in shape. They may be toothed or smooth along the edges. The flower cluster is a small cluster of many white flowers. The fruit is a horned capsule a few millimeters wide which bursts explosively to expel the three seeds. The seeds require thermal scarification from wildfire before they can germinate. This shrub is eagerly browsed by livestock and wild ungulates such as Mule deer and Desert Bighorn Sheep. Also known to attract a variety of bird species.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Shrub
Size
3.5 - 7 ft tall
7 ft wide
Form
Upright, Rounded
Growth Rate
Moderate
Dormancy
Evergreen
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant
Flower Color
Blue, White
Flowering Season
Spring, Winter
Wildlife Supported
Primarily insects. Plants in the Ceanothus genus are host plants to the Spring Azure, Echo Blue, Pacuvius Duskywing, California Tortoiseshell, Pale Swallowtail, and Hedgerow Hairstreak butterflies.
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3
confirmed
, 75
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Hedgerow Hairstreak
Satyrium saepium
Satyrium saepium
White-streaked Saturnia Moth
Saturnia albofasciata
Saturnia albofasciata
Bank's Emerald Moth
Chlorosea banksaria
Chlorosea banksaria
*
Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus
Strymon melinus
*
Pale Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio eurymedon
Papilio eurymedon
*
Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini
Limenitis lorquini
*
California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica
Nymphalis californica
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun
Moisture
Extremely Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 3
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium
Soil Description
Generally well drained such as decomposed granite. Soil PH: 5.5 - 7.5
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens
Companion Plants
Desert
transition or plants tolerant of hot, dry inland locations such as
Desert Lavender
(
Hyptis emoryi
),
Desert
Scrub Oak
(
Quercus cornelius-mulleri
),
Big Sagebrush
(
Artemisia tridentata
), Antelope Bush (
Purshia tridentata
),
Desert
Sage (Salvia dorii),
Honey Mesquite
(
Prosopis glandulosa
),
Mojave Yucca
(Yucca shidigera) and cactus species.
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: Hot water and 2-3 mos. stratification.
Natural Setting
Site Type
In the southern part of its range, it is found on dry slopes of desert transition between 3,500 and 7,500 ft. as part of chaparral or sagebrush scrub. In the northern part of its range, it is found with Joshua Tree woodland, Pinyon-Juniper woodland or Ponderosa pines
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 5.2" - 43.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.24" - 3.90", Coldest Month: 28.0" - 57.6", Hottest Month: 49.6" - 86.2", Humidity: 0.93" - 37.09", Elevation: 3" - 8983"
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Desert Ceanothus
Ceanothus greggii
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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