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Carmel Ceanothus
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus
  
About Carmel Ceanothus (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus) 50 Nurseries Carry This Plant Carmel Ceanothus (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus) is a variety of flowering shrub of Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (also called Carmel Ceanothus). It was formerly named Ceanothus griseus and was considered a separate species, with a popular variety formerly named Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis (Carmel Creeper Ceanothus); some sources may still use this terminology.

This Ceanothus is endemic to coastal California, where its distribution extends from the Central Coast region through the southern North Coast region. It is a plant of the chaparral, coastal scrub, and closed-cone-pine forest plant communities.

Unlike the always low-growing Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. thyrsiflorus, Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus is quite variable in form, ranging from a low and spreading groundcover to rounded and upright shrub.

The evergreen leaves are ribbed and have slightly serrated edges and fuzzy undersides. The flower clusters are borne on thick stalks up to one inch long and are dense with small blue or purple flowers. The fruit is a sticky black capsule usually containing three seeds.

Carmel Ceanothus is the most popular Ceanothus for California garden. The species and its cultivars are widely available in nurseries. Gardeners find it easy to grow and fast-growing, in its natural range and beyond. It succeeds in a wide range of soils and can tolerate summer water up to 2x per week in some climates and soils.

There are many popular named cultivars of Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus with diverse heights and widths. Cultivars with descriptions in separate Calscape articles include:
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Diamond Heights' (Diamond Heights Mountain Lilac) 1 ft high x 4-6 ft wide
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Kurt Zadnik' (Kurt Zadnik Carmel Ceanothus) 2-4 ft high x 6-15 ft wide
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Louis Edmunds' (Louis Edmunds Carmel Ceanothus) 3-6 ft high x 10-25 ft wide
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Point Sal' (Point Sal Carmel Creeper) 2-3 ft high x 4-5 ft wide
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Santa Ana' (Santa Ana Carmel Ceanothus) 4-8 ft high x 6-12 ft wide
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Yankee Point' (Yankee Point Carmel Ceanothus) 1-4 ft high x 8-12 ft wide

Other cultivars in the nursery trade include:
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'All Gold' (All Gold Carmel Ceanothus)
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Carmel Creeper' (Carmel Creeper Ceanothus) 2-3 ft high x 15-20 ft wide
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3 - 15 ft tall
4 - 15 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding, Rounded, Spreading, Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Insects, especially bees and butterflies. Plants in the Ceanothus genus are host plants to the Spring Azure, Echo Blue, Pacuvius Duskywing, California Tortoiseshell, Pale Swallowtail, and Hedgerow Hairstreak butterflies.

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy, Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerant of sandy or clay soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Woollyleaf Ceanothus (Ceanothus tomentosus), Hoaryleaf Ceanothus (Ceanothus crassifolius), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Coffeeberry (Frangula spp.), Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), Flannelbush (Fremontodendron spp.), Bush Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), and Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)

Maintenance
Maintenance
This plant is said to be a favorite of deer.. Some cultivars may need annual pruning to maintain desired shape.

Propagation
Propagation?
Because of the tendency of Ceanothus to hybridize, propagation is usually from cuttings. For propagating by seed: Boil in water 1 minute, cool immediately to room temperature, and sow.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
5, 7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Hills and bluffs, usually within a few miles of the coast, along with Monterey Pine and other trees of the central coast, or with northern coastal scrub

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 15.5" - 57.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.20" - 0.86", Coldest Month: 43.8" - 50.6", Hottest Month: 55.7" - 73.2", Humidity: 0.01" - 18.31", Elevation: 3" - 1746"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Ceanothus griseus,Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis
Common Names: Carmel Creeper Ceanothus


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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