#ceanothus

[intotheundergrowth]

lilac

[ruthbancroftgarden]

Ceanothus maritimus 'Valley Violet'

California has an abundance of Ceanothus species, commonly called "California lilacs", although they are not actually related to lilacs. Their flower colors are generally in the blue-to-purple range, or else white. This one is actually very localized in nature, growing just south of Big Sur along the coast of Central California. The cultivar 'Valley Violet' has gained popularity in gardens, with its low mounding habit and its profuse production of bluish-purple flowers in winter. Ceanothus belongs to the family Rhamnaceae.

-Brian

[themazette]

Blue Sunday…

[chaoticcheetah]

Ceanothus silk moth

[spinus-pinus]

Woollyleaf Ceanothus Ceanothus tomentosus

3/24/2024 Chino Hills State Park, Orange County, California

[bluebelly-sun-serpentine]

March 30th, 2025

[chaparraljournal]

Every spring this normally non-descript California lilac (Ceanothus) bursts into a brilliant flowering shrub of small white blossoms.

Ceanothus is a genus with 50-60 variations, of which California has the most. It’s a nitrogen-fixer and a huge friend to bees.

[rfsweber]

florals on film

... from the archive (2021)