Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Mt. Vision Ceanothus is one of three recognized varieties of Ceanothus gloriosus. All three varieties are rare, but var. porrectus is the most rare and has the most limited distribution, being restricted to a handful of sites in the vicinity of Pt. Reyes and Tomales Bay. This is an area that receives significant moisture from summer fog. Mt. Vision Ceanothus tends to grow in sandy places, at elevations from sea level to 1,000 feet. It is low growing, forming a mat or low mound. The evergreen leaves are oppositely arranged and up to 5 centimeters long, rounded to oval in shape. The edges are toothed, the teeth sometimes spine-tipped. The flower cluster is bright blue to purple. The fruit is a horned capsule about 4 millimeters wide. Although this plant is native to the north coast, it has been used in other coastal parts of the state if conditions similar to its native habitat can be maintained.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

3 ft Tall
8 ft Wide

Form

Spreading

Growth rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Pleasant

Calscape icon
Color

Blue, Lavender, Purple

Flowering season

Winter, Spring

Special uses

Bank stabilization, Groundcover

Sun

Partial Shade

Water

Very Low

Summer irrigation

Max 1x / week once established

Ease of care

Moderate

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil drainage

Fast

Soil description

Prefers sand or sandstone.
Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Site type

Sandy places, bluffs, shrubby slopes, ridges of Marin County

Plant communities

Closed-cone Pine Forest, Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub, Valley Grassland

Bats
Birds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 72 likely

Confirmed Likely

Acanthopteroctetes unifascia

Sallow Button

Acleris hastiana

Cottonwood Dagger Moth

Acronicta lepusculina

Acronicta perdita