Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) Login         


        Description
  • CA Bloom Mar - May
  • This shrub is covered with evergreen leaves and produces prodigious display of sweet-smelling flowers.
  • Look for grooves running the length of the stem.
  • It comes in a variety of sizes, up to 30 feet tall.
  • Does well on poor soil. Found in a wide variety of settings.
  • CA native
  • Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)



Hundreds of sweet-smelling tiny flowers form lavender balls of color accented with white or yellow.



Leaves have 3 parallel veins. The underside is dull, but the top is a shiny dark green.


Blueblossom is full of flowers when it blooms, March to May.

   Photo Gallery (147 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

Blueblossoms do well in poor soils, such as sandstone or [[serpentine]]. They're early adaptors in disturbed soil, so you're likely to see them besid ...
Blueblossom is a classic [[chaparral]] plant, often growing taller than surrounding plants.
In favorable conditions, Blueblossom can grow to tree size. Most of the time, however, they're largish shrubs. Notice the flowing branches, which el ...
Blueblossom leaves have three veins that join at the base of the leaf. Veins protrude from the bottom of the leaf.
The tops of leaves are dark green, and the bottoms are pale or yellowish-green. Leaves are lance shaped, and grow to 2 inches long.
This closeup of the upper surface of the leaf shows three main veins with a network of smaller veins. Leaves are thin and flexible. Branchlets hav ...