Rhamnaceae

Ceanothus velutinus

Snowbrush

Erect to spreading shrub. Stems brown, round, smooth. Leaves shiny, evergreen, strongly fragrant, sticky. Leaf widely oval, with round tip, 1–3 in. long, finely toothed. Flowers white in thick rounded clusters less than 6 in. long at stem tops. Grows in open woods, brushy sites, in most elevations. Var. velutinus leaf is gray with dense fine hairs on underside. Grows only inland, not near coast, at mid- to high elevations. Var. hookeri has leaves with underside light green, hairless; grows to small tree only near coast below 2900 ft. Common in disturbed areas along roads, in timber-harvested areas.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 3--11 feet
• Habitat: West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest
• Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, Wallowas, Steens, West Gorge, Siskiyous
• Native: Yes