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Woollyleaf Ceanothus
Ceanothus tomentosus
  
About Woollyleaf Ceanothus (Ceanothus tomentosus) 11 Nurseries Carry This Plant Ceanothus tomentosus is a species of shrub in the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) known by the common name Woollyleaf Ceanothus. It is most commonly found in the foothills and canyons of San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties, north up into the foothills of the Transverse Mountains, and south down into Baja California. The plants formerly called Ceanothus tomentosus var. tomentosus from the Sierra Nevada are actually more closely related to Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (see Burge et. al. Nov. 2011). Ceanothus tomentosus grows in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, coastal strand and foothill woodland plant communities in its range.

It is shrub approaching four meters in maximum height. The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged and have dense, matted hairs on the undersides. The leaves have tiny, hairy teeth. The flower cluster is several centimeters long of deep blue or white flowers. The fruit is a lobed capsule a few millimeters long. It is not hairy and it is sticky when new.

Ceanothus tomentosus is a quintessential chaparral plant in San Diego county. It puts on a great floral display for 1-2 months in winter or occasionally in the spring if rains come late. The flowers are beautiful and abundant particularly in wetter years, and can turn the foothills and canyons blue. So for 1-2 months this plant is especially spectacular. The shiny leaves reflect the sun and look beautiful when backlit. In southern California, it prefers full sun and slopes that retain just a bit more moisture than average - i.e. north facing slopes, slope bottoms, east or west facing slopes with heavier soils and plenty of rocks, or cool coastal conditions. Fast growing to 6-12 feet if happy.

Ceanothus tomentosus doesn't tolerate much if any direct summer water after it's established, and if planted in soils that don't retain enough moisture, it will dry out and die. So site selection is very important here. Best to give it regular water for the first year, and none or almost none thereafter, though it'll do fine if planted adjacent to an irrigated area. If you do give it supplemental water, it should be light and preferably indirect. It will typically drop about half its leaves in the summer and make its own mulch.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
6 - 13.1 ft tall
6 - 20 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue, Lavender, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Important wildlife plant. Attracts many butterfly species, many bee species and other pollinators, many bird species. 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, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 10 - 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers heavier or rockier soils on slopes, lighter soils on flats. Soil PH: 5 - 8

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Bank Stabilization, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Ceanothus crassifolius, Ceanothus verrucosus, Laurel Sumac, Spiny redberry, Mission Manzanita, Black Sage, White Sage, Scrub Oaks, Toyon, Bush Rue

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: Hot water treatment.  For propagating by seed: Hot water treatment.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
7, 8*, 8, 9*, 9, 14, 15*, 16*, 17, 18, 19, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry rocky slopes, usually north facing, sandstone bluffs near the coast, from near sea level to 6,800 ft.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 10.2" - 70.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.22" - 2.45", Coldest Month: 30.6" - 56.0", Hottest Month: 53.4" - 80.2", Humidity: 0.98" - 28.75", Elevation: 11" - 7419"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Ceanothus tomentosus var. olivaceus,Ceanothus tomentosus var. tomentosus
Common Names: Woolly-leaf Ceanothus, Woolyleaf 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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