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Ceanothus arboreus - Rhamnaceae - 'Feltleaf Ceanothus, ' 'Island Mt. Lilac.' - Another lovely Channel Islands endemic arrives to grace our gardens... Of the California Lilacs that I have seen, this is the tallest and lushest, reaching tree-like proportions with amazing speed, growing to 20 feet tall in a matter of a 4-5 years. The look is so lush that gardeners are tempted to think that this drought loving shrub requires more water than it does. On the coast, this would need to only be watered in its first year.

Blooming very early, this will be a mass of pale blue, very fragrant flowers starting in January to March depending on how far south you are located. Reported cold-hardiness in California range from 20ºF, where you would see some leaf damage, to 10ºF, where the plant would be frozen to the ground, only to pop up strong as ever the following spring.