Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Rhamnaceae
Blueblossom Ceanothus
Erect to prostrate shrub. Stem green when young, hairless, twigs growing at an angle from stem. Leaves alternate, evergreen, oblong to egg-shaped, with 3 veins raised on light-colored slightly hairy lower surface, upper surface dark shiny green, edges with glands on teeth. Flowers light to deep blue in dense clusters to 3 in. across. Seedpod sticky. Grows in low-elevation woods and coastal bluffs. Prostrate plants found only on north coast of California. If you rub the blossoms briskly between your hands with some water, you'll make soapsuds.
- Rarity: Common
- Flowering Time: Mid Spring
- Flower Form: Petals 5, Completely Free, Regular Shape, Ovary Su
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Height: 2–18 feet
- Habitat: Coastal, West-side Forest
- Native: Yes
