Rhamnaceae

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

Blueblossom Ceanothus

Erect to prostrate shrub. Stem green when young, hairless, twigs growing at an angle from stem. Leaves alternate, evergreen, oblong to egg-shaped, with 3 veins raised on light-colored slightly hairy lower surface, upper surface dark shiny green, edges with glands on teeth. Flowers light to deep blue in dense clusters to 3 in. across. Seedpod sticky. Grows in low-elevation woods and coastal bluffs. Prostrate plants found only on north coast of California. If you rub the blossoms briskly between your hands with some water, you'll make soapsuds.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Mid Spring
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 2--18 feet
• Habitat: Coastal, West-Side Forest
• Found In:
• Native: Yes