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Ceanothus L., is a genus of about 50-60 species of shrubs or small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. The genus is confined to North America, with the center of its distribution in California but some species (e.g. C. americanus) in the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others (e.g. C. coeruleus) extending as far south as Guatemala. Most are shrubs 0.5-3 m tall, but C. arboreus and C. thyrsiflorus, both from California, can be small trees up to 6-7 m tall.

The majority of the species are evergreen, but the handful of species adapted to cold winters are deciduous. The leaves are opposite or alternate (depending on species), small (typically 1-5 cm long), simple, and mostly with serrated margins. The flowers are white, blue, pale purple or pink, maturing into a dry, three-lobed seed capsule.

The Californian species are sometimes known as California-lilac, but not surprisingly, the species found elsewhere have other common names, e.g. New Jersey Tea for C. americanus. In garden use, most are simply called by their scientific names or an adaptation of the scientific name, e.g. Maritime Ceanothus for C. maritimus.

Many species are popular garden ornamentals, and dozens of hybrids and cultivars have been selected, such as Flexible Ceanothus, Ceanothus × flexilis Greene ex McMinn (C. cuneatus × C. prostratus).

Species

• Ceanothus americanus L. - New Jersey Tea
• Ceanothus arboreus Greene - Feltleaf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus confusus J.T. Howell - Rincon Ridge Ceanothus
• Ceanothus connivens Greene - Trailing Buckbrush
• Ceanothus cordulatus Kellogg - Whitethorn Ceanothus
• Ceanothus crassifolius Torr. - Hoaryleaf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus cuneatus (Hook.) Nutt. - Buckbrush
  • Ceanothus cuneatus var. fascicularis (McMinn) - Hoover Sedgeleaf Buckbrush
  • Ceanothus cuneatus var. rigidus (Nutt.) Hoover - Monterey Ceanothus
• Ceanothus cyaneus Eastw. - San Diego Buckbrush
• Ceanothus dentatus Torr. & Gray - Sandscrub Ceanothus
• Ceanothus divergens Parry - Calistoga Ceanothus
• Ceanothus diversifolius Kellogg - Pinemat
• Ceanothus fendleri Gray - Fendler's Ceanothus
• Ceanothus ferrisiae McMinn - Coyote Ceanothus
• Ceanothus foliosus Parry - Wavyleaf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus fresnensis Dudley ex Abrams - Fresno Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus foliosus var. foliosus - Wavyleaf Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus foliosus var. medius McMinn - Wavyleaf Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus foliosus var. vineatus McMinn - Vine Hill Ceanothus
• Ceanothus fresnensis Dudley ex Abrams - Fresno Mat Ceanothus
• Ceanothus gloriosus J.T. Howell - Point Reyes Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus gloriosus var. exaltatus J.T. Howell - Point Reyes Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus gloriosus var. gloriosus - Point Reyes Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus gloriosus var. porrectus J.T. Howell - Mt. Vision Ceanothus
• Ceanothus greggii Gray - Desert Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus greggii var. greggii - Desert Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus greggii var. perplexans (Trel.) Jepson - Desert Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus greggii var. vestitus (Greene) McMinn - Mojave Ceanothus
• Ceanothus griseus (Trel. ex B.L. Robins.) McMinn - Carmel Ceanothus
• Ceanothus hearstiorum Hoover & J.B. Roof - Hearst Ranch Buckbrush
• Ceanothus herbaceus Raf. - Jersey Tea
• Ceanothus impressus Trel. - Santa Barbara Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus impressus var. impressus - Santa Barbara Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus impressus var. nipomensis McMinn - Santa Barbara Ceanothus
• Ceanothus incanus Torr. & Gray - Coast Whitethorn
• Ceanothus integerrimus Hook. & Arn. - Deerbrush Ceanothus
• Ceanothus jepsonii Greene - Jepson Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus jepsonii var. albiflorus J.T. Howell - Jepson Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus jepsonii var. jepsonii - Jepson Ceanothus
• Ceanothus lemmonii Parry - Lemmon's Ceanothus
• Ceanothus leucodermis Greene - Chaparral Whitethorn
• Ceanothus maritimus Hoover - Maritime Ceanothus
• Ceanothus martinii M.E. Jones - Martin's Ceanothus
• Ceanothus masonii McMinn - Mason's Ceanothus
• Ceanothus megacarpus Nutt. - Bigpod Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis (Eastw.) Munz - Island Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus - Bigpod Ceanothus
• Ceanothus microphyllus Michx. - Littleleaf Buckbrush
• Ceanothus oliganthus Nutt. - Hairy Ceanothus
• Ceanothus ophiochilus Boyd, Ross & Arnseth - Vail Lake Ceanothus
• Ceanothus palmeri Trel. - Palmer Ceanothus
• Ceanothus papillosus Torr. & Gray - Wartleaf Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus papillosus var. papillosus - Wartleaf Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus papillosus Tvar. roweanus McMinn - Wartleaf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus parryi Trel. - Parry Ceanothus
• Ceanothus parvifolius (S. Wats.) Trel. - Littleleaf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus pinetorum Coville - Coville Ceanothus
• Ceanothus prostratus Benth. - Prostrate Ceanothus
• Ceanothus pumilus Greene - Dwarf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus purpureus Jepson - Hollyleaf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus roderickii Knight - Pine Hill Buckbrush
• Ceanothus sanguineus Pursh - Redstem Ceanothus
• Ceanothus serpyllifolius Nutt. - Coastal Plain Buckbrush
• Ceanothus sonomensis J.T. Howell - Sonoma Ceanothus
• Ceanothus sorediatus Hook. & Arn. - Jimbrush Ceanothus
• Ceanothus spinosus Nutt. - Redheart Ceanothus
• Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Eschsch. - Blueblossom
• Ceanothus tomentosus Parry - Woolyleaf Ceanothus
• Ceanothus velutinus Dougl. ex Hook. - Snowbrush Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus velutinus var. hookeri M.C. Johnston - Hooker's Ceanothus
  • Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus - Snowbrush Ceanothus
• Ceanothus verrucosus Nutt. - Barranca Brush