Botanical Name: Ceanothus 'Dark Star'
Common Name: No common name
Type of Plant: dicot: shrub
Character evergreen
 
Habit of Growth:
Overall Shape a medium-sized Ceanothus, with distinctive stiff branching and closely-set tiny leaves; with age, forms a broadly rounded to mounded shape
Height 3' - 5' (6')
Spread equal or more
Growth Rate moderate-rapid
 
Environment:
Exposure outdoors thrives in full sun; prefers some partial shading at interior valley/foothill locations in So. California
Soil prefers well-draining sites; avoid poor-draining clay soil
Hardiness hardy (zones 4-7, 14-24): prefers warm locations nearer the coast
 
Morphology:
Leaves pinnate, alternate, tiny (1/4"-1/2" long), oval-oblong, closely set on branchlets; dark glossy green above, paler green beneath; deeply furrowed ('wrinkled'); margins not toothed
Flowers dark cobalt blue, in small round clusters; March-April
Fruit insignificant
 
Propagation:
softwood or semi-softwood cuttings
 
Usage:
a rather fast-growing large filler, good for 'quick effects' for its heavy display of flowers; tends to be rather short-lived at inland locations if heat or drought-stressed; informal mass-plantings on slopes
 
Landscape Care:
Watering prefers little water in mild-climate zones near the coast; needs an occasional deep soak at inland sites (14-21 days)
Fertilizing little needed after establishment
Pruning selectively head back if needed after blooming period; avoid heavy pruning or shearing
Pests/Diseases root-fungus diseases in poorly-draining clay soils
Special Conditions/Other
 
Origin: cultivar
Family: Rhamnaceae

Notes:
 
PDF
Your pictures go here