Carried by 9 nurseries
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Ceanothus spinosus is a species in the Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family known by the common names greenbark ceanothus and redheart. It is native to the coastal strip of southern California south of San Luis Obispo County to northern Baja California, where it grows in the scrub and chaparral of the coastal mountain ranges. This is a large treelike shrub approaching six meters in maximum height. The stem is a rough-barked trunk near the base and has thorny, greenish-brown branches. The thick, firm evergreen leaves are up to 4 or 5 centimeters long and are hairless on the upper surface but sometimes lined with hairs underneath. The shrub blooms in flower clusters up to 15 centimeters long filled with clusters of white to pale blue flowers. The fruit is a smooth, round capsule about half a centimeter wide containing 3 seeds.
Shrub
10 - 20 ft Tall
10 ft Wide
Summer Semi-deciduous, Evergreen
Pleasant
Blue, White
Winter, Spring
Bank stabilization
Full Sun
Low, Very Low
Never irrigate once established
Moderate
Tolerates cold to 5° F
Fast, Medium, Slow
Tolerates a variety of soils.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.0
Fast growing, may require annual pruning (late summer) to restrain its expansive habit. Can be pruned into a standard tree form. One of the few Ceanothus species that re-sprouts from the burl if burned or cut back to the base.
For propagating by seed: Hot water; then 2 mos. stratification may improve germination.
7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Dry slopes of the western face of the Coast Ranges, Transverse Range and Peninsular Range, usually below 3, 000 ft.
Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub
Use with other members of the southern chaparral community such as Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis), Nevin's Barberry (Berberis nevinii), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides), Summer Holly (Comarostaphylis diversifolia), Bush Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon spp.), Buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.), Flannelbush (Fremontodendron californicum), Silk Tassel Bush (Garrya spp.), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Oak (Quercus spp.), Sage (Salvia spp.), and many others
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Likely
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Confirmed
Adela septentrionella
Texas Striped Sweat Bee
Agapostemon texanus
Alypia mariposa
Andrena anatolis
Peppers
Capsicum annuum
Chicory
Cichorium intybus
Watercress
Nasturtium officinale
Daikon
Raphanus sativus