Ceanothus, or California lilac are native plants of the west coast. Funnily they are very common in English gardens and less common in Californian gardens. This is the time of the year when they are at their best when they bloom in various blues and purples.

I have 5 planted in the garden, three in the back and two in the front. In the front I have a Yankee point which is now about 6 foot high and 15 foot wide. It has a nice blue colour bloom and comes out last.

I also have a white Ceanothus snowbrush in the front which seems fairly happy in a slightly shadier part of the garden and blooms the first.

Snowbush blooming

In the back I have a second Yankee point which I have never watered and is remarkably resilient and a Ray Hartman which despite being in a good location and being watered (periodically) has only in the last year started to get any growth. Maybe too much water.

Native plants are really interesting since unlike typical garden plants they dont need to be watered regularly. In fact it often kills them when you water them to regularly. The climate is hot and dry for 8 months of the year and then warm with occasional big downpours in the winter months. Ceonothus are therefore designed to cope with dry period and also with very occasional damp periods. Pretty clever.

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.