Ceanothus arboreus
Encyclopedia
Ceanothus arboreus is a species of shrub endemic to California, especially to the Channel Islands
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
. It is known commonly as feltleaf ceanothus. It is a species of what are sometimes called California lilacs, and may be referred to as the California mountain lilac or island mountain lilac. It is a spreading bush growing up to 6 meters in height, bearing glossy dark green leaves which are leathery or felt-like on their undersides. It is sometimes planted as a fast-growing ornamental for its showy bright blue flowers, which grow in plentiful panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
s, or bunches, of tiny five-lobed blossoms. Some varieties and cultivars have light, powder blue blooms, and others bear darker blue flowers. The fruits are three-lobed, triangular capsules. As a native of dry California, the plant is drought-tolerant and may be found in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
ecosystems.
