Have we just been too busy to notice or did miles of beautiful creamy white, sky blue and lavender blossoms appear overnight? A blustery gray and wet drive to Chico this morning was framed by a near continuous border of gently swaying clouds of puffy ceanothus blooms. Apparently the unusually moist spring has provided ideal conditions for this showy flowering shrub that for most of the year is an unassuming leafy green bush.
There are over 50 species of Ceanothus, the majority of them found in California, from sea-level to 9000’. Although their blossoms come in many shapes and colors, from ground-hugging small purple balls to head high pendulous white tear-drops, their unique leaf structure of three parallel veins unites them. Besides their visual beauty Ceanothus is one of our most fragrant flowers.
More than just a pretty face California Lilac has many medicinal and functional uses. Native Americans used the plant for treating cysts and tumors, as an herbal tea and for weaving baskets.
Why so many Ceanothus, blooming so profusely this spring? Part of the answer may be wildfires that have plagued our local foothills in recent years – many Ceanothus seeds only germinate in response to wildland fires.
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