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These Lilac species are good for central California gardens. However, they are just a place to start. Not all may grow in your garden and many from southern and northern California may grow just fine as well. Make sure you have the correct soil type for the Ceanothus you like. Of course, it is always better to plant your local Lilacs, if possible.
California Lilacs, or Ceanothus, are some of our most fragrant and colorful shrubs here in California. They are also evergreen and very drought tolerant. They make excellent hedges!
The myth of Ceanothus being short lived
is primarily spread by incompetent gardeners that insist on drip irrigation,
summer water and soil amendments. California native plants hate all
three. Expect a 20-25 year life from your Ceanothus in most gardens.
Ceanothus are notorious for being loved by deer. However, this is not entirely true. Without water or fertilizer a Ceanothus looks much less appetizing to a deer. Some species are still viewed as candy in areas where deer populations are high. But many are OK in low or medium deer areas. If you have high deer problems stick with your local Ceanothus species and whatever you do, don't water!
Island Mountain Lilac looks like a Ceanothus on steroids. It has huge leaves and huge flower clusters on a plant that grows to 20 ft. It is really more like a small tree. The flowers are light dusky blue. It is a fast grower, reaching its full size in 5 to 10 years. unfortunately deer love it and it doesn't tolerate cold temps (below around 15). It is very drought tolerant. So, don't over water it! In most areas just water the first year to get it established. It will grow in clay or decomposed granite!
Owls wood blue Island Mountain Lilac grows fast reaching 6 to 12 ft tall. It has blue flowers and large green leaves. It will grow in clay. Deer like to eat it. It does well along the coast and doesn't like cold temps.
Buckbrush is native around our Santa Margarita nursery. It is very drought tolerant, growing in full sun, in our 115 degree summers. It has blue or white flowers and tiny shiny dark green leaves. It is very cold tolerant. It will grow in sand or clay. Deer don't like it much to eat but they like to hide in it to sleep. It grows 3 to 6 ft tall.
This is the same as buck brush but Blue!
Wavy leaf mountain Lilac has lots of small blue flowers and tiny bright green crinkly leaves. It will grow in clay or serpentine. Wavy leaf mountain Lilac likes shade in the interior and full sun along the coast. It grows about 4 ft tall.
Mountain Buckbrush grows about 6 ft tall. It has small shiny holly like leaves and white flowers. It is very drought tolerant growing native in the Pinyon -juniper woodland. It doesn't like coastal conditions.
Carmel Ceanothus is a small tree or large shrub, growing 3 to 6 ft tall. It likes full sun. It will grow in sand or clay. It has light blue flowers.
Louis Edmunds Carmel Mountain Lilac grows 3 to 6 ft tall. Deer love it. It likes temperatures above 20 deg F. It grows well along the coast. It does well in sand as well as clay, it has blue flowers.
Yankee point makes a great fast growing groundcover. It has shiny leaves and blue flowers. It is not cold tolerant. It grows well under seaside conditions. It will grow well in sand or clay
This is a very low growing Ceanothus only reaching 2 to 3 in inches tall. It does well along the coast. It is fairly drought tolerant. It will do OK in the interior of California will a little simulated fog drip and part shade. It has blue flowers. It likes clay soil. C. hearstiorum is listed as rare by the state.
Santa Barbra Mountain Lilac grows 3 to 6 ft tall. It does well in sand. It has tiny crinkly leaves and blue flowers.
Arroyo Grande Lilac grows 3 to 6 ft tall. It likes sandy soil. It likes a little shade in the interior and full sun along the coast. It has blue flowers.
Deer brush grows 3 to 6 ft tall. It likes full sun along the coast and part shade in the interior. It has white flowers. It likes clay or sand.
Trinity Ceanothus grows to reach 3 ft tall. It has blue flowers and white bark. It is native to northern California and northern central California. It need goo drainage.
White bark mountain lilac grows 8 ft tall. It has light blue flowers and shiny green leaves. It is drought tolerant and cold tolerant. This is the mother plant for our beautiful L.T. Blue Ceanothus hybrid.
Bluff mountain lilac grows only few inches tall. It is native along the bluffs and therefore is quite at home under seaside conditions. However it also requires the fog drip and mild climates of coastal areas. It has tiny little succulent leaves and blue flowers. C. maritimus is listed as rare by the state.
Hairy-Leaf Ceanothus is a tall Ceanothus reaching 6 to18 ft tall. It is found along the coast of southern California. It likes sand and full sun.
Wart-stem Ceanothus grows 3 to 9 ft tall. It likes clay and serpentine soils. It has blue flowers. It likes more moisture and con often be found near seasonal creaks.
Coastal Buckbrush grows 3 to 9 ft tall. It likes full sun. in can tolerate salt spray and it likes sandy soil. Deer don't like it much if it is in its native range.
Snow ball is a low growing mountain Lilac reaching only 2 or 3 ft tall. It has white flowers and small holly leaves. It likes a little shade in the interior. We have it growing along the drip line of a Coast Live Oak. Deer don't like it much.
It is happiest in northern California. However, its range does go into central California. It likes part sun or full sun. It has blue flowers.
Red-Heart Mountain Lilac is found along the coast ranges from San Luis Obispo county south into southern California. It has light blue flowers and smooth shiny bright green leaves. It grows from 6 to 12 ft tall. It doesn't like garden condition.
Skylark has dark green shiny leaves and blue flowers. It grows from 3 to 6 ft tall. It will grow in clay and can tolerate deer browsing.
Snow flurry grows 3 to 9 ft tall. It has huge white flower clusters and large juicy green leaves. It will grow in clay. It doesn't like cold temps. It would prefer temperatures above 20 deg F.
Low blue blossom grows only to 3 ft at the most and 3 to 9 ft wide. It makes an excellent ground cover. It grows well in sand or clay. It will grow in full sun along the coast and part shade inland. It has blue flowers.
This Ceanothus grows 3 to 9 ft tall. It grows in full sun on the eastern side of the sierras. It is very cold tolerant and drought tolerant.
To learn more about Ceanothus flowering time check out our table of the flowering times for Ceanothus.
