Ceanothus
Buckbrush · also California lilac, Soap bush, Ceanothus
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Ceanothus is a diverse genus of nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees native to Western North America, particularly the California floristic province. Valued for their ornamental, often blue, flowers in spring and sometimes winter, they provide year-round greenery with evergreen varieties. These drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plants offer high wildlife value, attracting pollinators and providing habitat for birds and small mammals in urban landscapes.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 4050.30%1.4 yr3.0 in
- 380.00%—1.6 in
- 60.00%—1.9 in
- 20.00%——
- 20.01%—3.7 in
Traits
- Form
- Broadleaf
- Mature height
- 5–20 ft
- Canopy spread
- 5–20 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Water needs
- Low
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Wildlife value
- High
- Tolerates
- coastal
- Blooms
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Dec
Trunk diameters across every city: median 3.0 in, mean 3.8 in, 90th percentile 6.0 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub
- California coastal sage and chaparral
- California interior chaparral and woodlands
Temperate Conifer Forests
- Northern California coastal forests
Other Ceanothus in the catalogue
2 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.