Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Ceanothus crassifolius is a species of flowering shrub known by the common name hoaryleaf ceanothus. This Ceanothus is found throughout the coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of California below 3,500 ft., and its range extends into Baja California. It is an erect, spreading shrub which can exceed three meters in height. The branches become long and the younger twigs are fuzzy with white or light brown hairs. The small evergreen leaves have widely-spaced teeth along the edges and the undersides are lighter in color and coated with hairs. The flower clusters are borne on short stalks less than three centimeters long and are small and rounded with tiny white flowers. They can be quite dense and can cover branches thickly, or they may be sparse. The flowers may have a yellowish or pink tint. The fruit is a horned capsule less than a centimeter wide. C. crassifolius typically occurs in California chaparral plant associations; other common flora associates are Toyon and Hollyleaf cherry.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

5 - 14 ft Tall
5 - 10 ft Wide

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Slight

Calscape icon
Color

White

Flowering season

Winter, Spring

Special uses

Bank stabilization

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water

Very Low

Summer irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 12° F

Soil drainage

Fast

Soil description

Prefers granular, well drained soil such as decomposed granite.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Propagation

For propagating by seed: Hot water and 2-3 mos. stratification.

Sunset Zones

7*, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Dry inland ridges, slopes and fans as part of southern chaparral

Plant communities

Chaparral, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Yellow Pine Forest

Bats
Birds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

2 confirmed and 80 likely

Confirmed Likely

Tischeria ceanothi

Acanthopteroctetes unifascia

Acronicta perdita