california native flora

Ceanothus ‘Concha’ – California Mountain Lilac

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California Mountain Lilac is one of three native Lilacs in the patio garden. That might sound like a lot since these have the potential to grow pretty large. This one, Ceanothus ‘Concha’, was the first one I bought, a 1 gallon specimen from the Matilija Nursery in Moorpark. It started out in the ground but I quickly moved it to a large, tall planter on the west side of the patio. It looks very happy there, growing quickly and even giving us a solitary blue flower as a teaser for what will hopefully follow next year.

Ceanothus plants have a very interesting growth pattern, if you can call it a pattern at all. The limbs and stems shoot straight out in all directions. They can be shaped by pruning but that should only be done after the blooming season since winter pruning is likely to result in unintended removal of the stems that are just about to flower.

These are desirable plants in the garden boasting fragrant flowers, tolerance of garden conditions and attracting all sorts of wildlife. One thing to note, they really hate fertilizer and summer water. They are drought tolerant and should be treated so.