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Santa Barbara Ceanothus
Ceanothus impressus
  
28 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Santa Barbara Ceanothus (Ceanothus impressus) 28 Nurseries Carry This Plant Ceanothus impressus is a species of flowering shrub in the Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family known by the common name Santa Barbara Ceanothus. This species is endemic to a small area of the Central Coast of California, where it can be found on coastal slopes and mesas. It is thickly branched with dark brown twigs and stem. The very small, evergreen leaves are about 2 centimeters long and oval shaped, highly ridged and wrinkled and curling under along the edges. They may be gland-dotted and have grayish hairy undersides. The shrub flowers abundantly in flower clusters of small blue flowers. The fruit is a crested spherical capsule about 4 millimeters wide.

There are two recognized varieties that inhabit essentially the same small range. In addition, several popular cultivars are derived from this species including 'Dark Star' and 'Julia Phelps.' This is a great Ceanothus to grow in its natural range. Significant amounts of summer water will kill this plant. It needs the cool coastal climate and strong marine influence to make it through the hot season, so don't try to grow it south of Ventura County or inland areas. Prefers sun or part shade and sandy soils. Makes a great hedge.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
4 - 6 ft tall
4 - 6 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Numerous birds and insects. Plants in the Ceanothus genus are host plants to the Spring Azure, Echo Blue, Pacuvius Duskywing, California Tortoiseshell, Pale Swallowtail, and Hedgerow Hairstreak butterflies.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 62 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Strymon melinus Image
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinusStrymon melinus
*
Papilio eurymedon Image
Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedonPapilio eurymedon
*
Limenitis lorquini Image
Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini
*
Nymphalis californica Image
California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californicaNymphalis californica
*
Callophrys augustinus Image
The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus
*
Erynnis pacuvius Image
Pacuvius Duskywing Erynnis pacuviusErynnis pacuvius
*
Satyrium saepium Image
Hedgerow Hairstreak Satyrium saepiumSatyrium saepium

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 28

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Sandstone or sandy soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Refugio Manzanita (Arctostaphylos refugioensis), Chamise (Adenostema fasciculatum), Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides), Bush Sunflower (Encelia californica), Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon species), Seacliff Buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium), Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina), Redberry (Rhamnus crocea), Currant/Gooseberry (Ribes species), Sage (Salvia species), and Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum).

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: Hot water and 2.5-3 mos.stratification.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
5, 7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry, sandy slopes and mesas generally very near the coast

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 13.6" - 36.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 0.76", Coldest Month: 41.0" - 52.2", Hottest Month: 63.0" - 77.0", Humidity: 0.47" - 23.74", Elevation: 36" - 4469"


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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