Our Plants (List)

Point Reyes ceanothus is a beautiful member of coastal and interior coastal plant communities of Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. It occurs in three varieties that vary in growth form and leave size. All three varieties share the holly-like leaves and abundant purple-blue bloom that makes the species so desirable…

Mt. Vision ceanothus is one of three varieties spread over the immediate coast and coastal mountains of Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. The porrectus variety is the most limited in distribution, endemic to the Point Reyes area. It grows as a low, mounding groundcover with small, dark green, leathery leaves….

Hearst’s ceanothus is a narrow endemic found only in coastal portions of southern San Luis Obispo County. Branches of only a few inches in height quickly radiate out from the center in a star pattern. With age the foliage mounds to no more than a foot in height. The leaves…

Ceanothus impressus, Santa Barbara ceanothus, is native to two coastal mesas in southern San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. The small, dark green leaves and bright blue flowers have made it a popular species for decades, especially in the form of two hybrids derived from it: Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’…

This variety of the Santa Barbara ceaonothus is endemic to the Nipomo Mesa in San Luis Obispo County and nearby mountains. It may be distinguished from the impressus variety by a more open growth form, and larger, flatter leaves. The plants that I grow (from cuttings) have flower clusters that…

Deerbrush is widespread in a variety of mountainous habitats in California and beyond. In the SF Bay Area it is occasionally encountered in the Santa Cruz Mountains on both sides of the crest. The form varies with location from a low growing and mounding to open and upright. The large…

This is a naturally occurring hybrid discovered on the Sonoma coast by Roger Raiche. The species involved are thought to be Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var griseus and Ceanothus foliosus. ‘Joan Mirov’ has small dark leaves of about a half inch in length. These have an interesting texture which contributes some visual…

‘Joyce Coulter’ was developed in San Carlos, CA, in the 1950s by plantsman John Coulter. It grows densely in a low mounding form to fill a considerable area with shiny, evergreen leaves. Although occasionally listed as a ground cover, it may be expected to reach a height of five feet…