Ceanothus thyrsiflorus ‘Oregon Mist’
a star in the May garden and great for wildlife, too
Posted by: Kate Bryant on Apr 28, 2010 at 05:45AM
5 Comments
If you love blue flowers, look no further than Ceanothus – absolutely no shrub rivals it for vibrant blue color saturation. Also known as California wild lilac – but called Ceanothus (“see-ya-no-this”) by Oregonians in-the-know – these dramatic flowering shrubs are also drought-tolerant and wildlife-friendly.
There are some 50-60 species of Ceanothus, native from southwestern Canada down to Guatemala and in the Rockies but with the greatest concentration of species in California. Several are native to Oregon, although the most intensely blue-flowered species are from the region to our south.
Oregon Mist was selected by wholesale nurserymen Paul Bonine and Greg Shepherd of Xera Plants from a wild Ceanothus thyrsiflorus plant growing at the northernmost part of its range in Coos County, Oregon. I profiled Oregon Mist Ceanothus for Portland Monthly’s May issue here.
This selection produces showy sprays of tiny, honey-scented blue flowers in late April and May. It grows into a small tree to about 15 feet high if let go – or, with annual pruning, can be maintained at 8-10 feet tall. West Coast Ceanothus species are fast-growing but short-lived shrubs, maxing out at 10-15 years in the garden. Give them well-drained soil, avoid fertilizer and provide minimal (or no) summer water – they’re perfect for that hot, sunny corner, out of reach of the hose or sprinkler system. (Just remember to supply water during its first couple of years in the ground.)
I love the aromatics of Ceanothus – their flowers are honey-scented and some species’ foliage have a faintly resinous scent. (Or, in the case of one of our natives, Ceanothus velutinus, the foliage smells like vinyl car seats – a scent I’ve come to love, thanks to this shrub.)
Pollinating insects adore Ceanothus and hummingbirds are said to relish the nectar, although I personally haven’t seen it yet. A large Ceanothus shrub will hum with the sound of insect wings when in flower – it’s an incredible sight – and sound.
Oregon Mist is a low-maintenance but high reward plant that quickly fills in space and attracts myriad valuable native insects. It’s available wherever Xera Plants are sold including Cistus Design Nursery, Garden Fever, and Dennis’ Seven Dees. Also check with these retailers for availability.
Now you tell me! :) I planted 3 Ceanothus this spring…none of them are Oregon Mist. Maybe I need to find room for a fourth…
I fell in love with this plant soon after moving here. Now I know what to call it!
Thanks, Kate.
THANK YOU! You have solved the mystery of our near 12’ hedge! It was here when we moved in… The sub freezing temps of last winter left many black limbs & leaves. Should I cut down the whole length of the hedge to an even height and THEN cut out dead branches? Or leave the few green tall branches and thin out. Poor thing has been thru so much trauma!
Hi Michele,
Your Ceanothus hedge must be a traffic-stopper in flower!
So without seeing your plant, I can’t offer any specific suggestions but generally, can say that if you’re sure the blackened branches are in fact dead – they might snap off by now if dead – then it may be easier to selectively prune them down to living wood before shearing – mostly because it will be easier to get inside the shrub if you have long stems to pull aside instead of trying to reach your arms into a stubby wall of sharp, cut branches. But it sort of depends on how much dead wood has to come out and how far down you plan to shear it.
If it’s leafing out from the tips of the blackened stems, wait until right after it flowers to prune it back so you can enjoy the flowers. Then you can shear it for a formal look or selectively prune out smaller dead branches for a more natural, billowy hedge. Just know that Ceanothus don’t sprout well from cuts made into older wood. It takes longer to do this type of artful pruning but if you like the natural look, it’s worth it.
There are some cold-tender forms of Ceanothus around town that simply died in the cold this past winter. Hopefully yours isn’t one of them!
Nice article! You inspire me to plant the one that I purchased at the YGP show – at Paul Bonine’s suggestion. I’ve enjoyed having it on my porch, but it’s time to find it a sunny spot in the garden.