Our Plants (List)

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…

Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’ is one of several popular ceanothis hybrids involving Ceanothus impressus and papillosus. It is a popular ceanothus for its densely bunched dark green leaves and generous spring display of dark blue flowers. The form is somewhat rounded to a height of up to 10 feet. The ‘Dark…

The chaparral whitethorn is found in mountainous regions from San Diego County to around the latitude of San Francisco. In the SF Bay Area it is found occasionally in the Diablo Range as far north as Del Valle Regional Park, and in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It grows as an…