• Photo of Ceanothus x pallidus (Ceanothus x palliduss)

Plant Profile: Ceanothus x pallidus

Taxonomy: Ceanothus x pallidus

Names

California Lilac, Ceanothus

  • Photo of Ceanothus x pallidus (Ceanothus x palliduss)

Phonetic Spelling:say-an-OH-thus BY PAL-lid-dus

Genus:Ceanothus

Species:

Family:Rhamnaceae

California Lilacs are indigenous shrubs characterized by their loosely branched, broadly mounded form. They are ideal for use as hedges, in shrub borders, within native gardens, or alongside building foundations. These plants can tolerate the heat reflected from south-facing walls and are drought-resistant once they are well-established, although they should be situated in wind-protected areas. They thrive in sandy or rocky soils that are well-drained. While they may die back to the ground during extreme cold, they typically recover if they have been properly established. However, their root systems make them challenging to transplant.

Regarding pests, diseases, and other issues: California Lilacs generally do not face significant problems, though they may occasionally experience powdery mildew and leaf spot. Additionally, overly wet soil conditions can lead to root rot.

Ceanothus x pallidus Feature Summary

Ceanothus x pallidus Image Gallery

Tags

#deciduous
#drought tolerant
#wildlife plant
#nectar plant
#hedges
#specialized bees
#foundation planting
#borders
#pollinator plant
#dry soils tolerant
#bee friendly

Similar Plants

Ceanothus x pallidus Feature Summary

Attributes
North American hybrid
Members of the genus Ceanothus support the following specialized bees: Pseudopanurgus pauper and Pseudopanurgus virginicus.
Fruit
Attractive red seed heads
Red/Burgundy
Flowers
Panicles of pink to blue blooms in May to June that resemble lilacs.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Spring
Summer
< 1 inch
Leaves
Broad, shiny, lustrous, non-showy fall color up to 3 inches long.
Elliptical
1-3 inches
Stem
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Pollinators
Specialized Bees

Ceanothus x pallidus Attributes

Ceanothus x pallidus: Country Or Region Of Origin

North American hybrid

Ceanothus x pallidus: Wildlife Value

Members of the genus Ceanothus support the following specialized bees: Pseudopanurgus pauper and Pseudopanurgus virginicus.

Ceanothus x pallidus: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Ceanothus x pallidus Fruit

Ceanothus x pallidus: Fruit Description

Attractive red seed heads

Ceanothus x pallidus: Fruit Color

grass
Red/Burgundy

Ceanothus x pallidus: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Ceanothus x pallidus Flowers

Ceanothus x pallidus: Flower Description

Panicles of pink to blue blooms in May to June that resemble lilacs.

Ceanothus x pallidus: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Ceanothus x pallidus: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Ceanothus x pallidus: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Ceanothus x pallidus: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Ceanothus x pallidus: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Ceanothus x pallidus Leaves

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Description

Broad, shiny, lustrous, non-showy fall color up to 3 inches long.

Ceanothus x pallidus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Ceanothus x pallidus: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Ceanothus x pallidus: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Ceanothus x pallidus Stem

Ceanothus x pallidus: Stem Description

Reddish stems

Ceanothus x pallidus: Stem Color

grass
Red/Burgundy

Ceanothus x pallidus: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Ceanothus x pallidus Whole Plant Traits

Ceanothus x pallidus: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Ceanothus x pallidus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Ceanothus x pallidus: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Ceanothus x pallidus: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Ceanothus x pallidus: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Ceanothus x pallidus Cultural Conditions

Ceanothus x pallidus: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Ceanothus x pallidus: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Ceanothus x pallidus: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Ceanothus x pallidus: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Ceanothus x pallidus: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Ceanothus x pallidus: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Ceanothus x pallidus Landscape

Ceanothus x pallidus: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Ceanothus x pallidus: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Ceanothus x pallidus: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Ceanothus x pallidus: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees