Ceanothus impressus 'Vandenberg'

Common Name:
Santa Barbara ceanothus
Plant Type:
Evergreen shrub
Family:
Rhamnaceae (The Buckthorn Family)
Geographic Origin:
California
California Native?:
Yes

Plant Size:
2-3 feet
Landscape/Garden Uses:
Mixed plantings
Flowering Season:
Spring

Flower Color:
Bright blue
Exposure:
Full sun
Soils:
Well-drained soil

Suggested Irrigation:
Occasional to no watering
Estimated Hardiness:
Hardy to 15 degrees F. or less

Ceanothus impressus is an extremely variable species. 'Vandenberg' is one of several selections made on the Air Force base of that name during a salvage operation in the early 1980s. It is a dwarf plant, probably under 3 feet high and 5-6 feet broad even in old age. Stiff but slender reddish stems are clad with small, crinkled deep green leaves. It has small, bright blue flower clusters in spring. The species is rapidly disappearing in the wild as new stretches of the southern coast are bulldozed for development.