Pete Veilleux experiments with all kinds of native plants at his Oakland nursery, has experience planting natives all over the SF Bay Area, and takes regular trips to wild areas. At a recent Gardening with Natives meeting in Los Altos, he talked about some of his favorite ceanothus (aka California lilac) varieties for gardens.
Ceanothus plants come in all sizes, from groundcovers a few inches high to a treelike Ray Hartman that “can easily reach 25 feet in a few years,” he said. And although some varieties of ceanothus such as Julia Phelps may be short-lived in gardens, other varieties are longer lived. In one garden, Veilleux saw a thriving greenbark ceanothus that was planted 80 years ago by the client's grandfather.
Unless otherwise noted, ceanothus plants require full sun and don't need water after they're established. Most varieties bloom profusely in the spring, usually in shades of blue, with flowers often covering the plant. Some groundcover varieties are grown primarily for the neat-looking foliage and don't flower as profusely.
A very flat groundcover for small, formal gardens, Hearst ceanothus '“is pretty even without flowers,” Veilleux said. It performs best in dappled light or, if it's in full sun, shielded from afternoon sun with an eastern or northern exposure. Centennial ceanothus is similar, with dark leaves and cobalt-blue flowers. Both are 8-12 inches high and are easy to propagate.
Frosty Blue, a tough, dense shrub with light blue flowers and succulent leaves, “can outcompete weeds,” Veilleux said. It can reach 8-12 feet. For a lower-growing dense variety, try Anchor Bay, which tops out at about 3 feet. Both varieties can tolerate heavier soils as well.
Another variety that does best in part shade is Diamond Heights, which has variegated foliage. The bright green leaves can add interest to a not-too-dark corner of the garden. It stays under a foot high and spreads only 3-5 feet.
Kurt Zadnik is one of Veilleux's favorites. It grows fast and doesn't get too big, under 6 feet tall, with sky blue flowers. It does well in shade, and even flowers well in part shade.
One of the most dependable varieties is Joyce Coulter. Veilleux uses it “a whole lot” in the gardens he creates. It's especially good where not much else grows, on slopes or poor soil, he said. It combines well with other aggressive plants such as Point Sal purple sage. Typically it gets 2-3 feet high and spreads widely with long, trailing branches, featuring prolific gentian blue flowers in the spring.
A newer variety, Blue Ray, has “gorgeous flowers” and is a good alternative to Ray Hartman if you need a taller variety that “stays nice” after it flowers. It can get 10 feet high and 15 feet wide.
Another newer variety, Berryhill, is “really nice,” Veilleux said. It has shiny leaves and grows in low mounds up to 2 feet high. The flowers are brilliant blue.
This young small-leafed Dark Star ceanothus is similar to Julia Phelps ceanothus, but it has a more upright and less spreading form. Both have dark blue flowers and small dark green leaves, grow fast, and are shorter-lived than other varieties if they get summer water. (Photo: Tanya Kucak)
The bright green variegated leaves of Diamond Heights ceanothus are its main attraction, although it also sports light blue flowers in the spring. Plant it in part shade, and prune solid-colored leaves as soon as they appear, to preserve the variegation. (Photo: Tanya Kucak)
The profuse blue flowers of ceanothus shrubs in late winter to late spring lure many pollinators. On a sunny day, you can find the nearest California lilac by listening for the sound of happy bees. (Photo: Tanya Kucak)
© 2016 Tanya Kucak