Collection: Ceanothus

Ceanothus, the Californian lilac, covers itself in blue flowers in May and June and is loved by bees.

The evergreen kinds need full sun and do well in coastal gardens and dry spots once settled, though they still want shelter from cold, drying winds. Low, spreading 'Repens' makes good ground cover for a bank or the front of a border, and 'Cool Blue' is a compact shrub.

Evergreen ceanothus won't reshoot from old wood, so never cut back hard into it. They grow fast but tend to be short-lived. Plant in April, May or September.

Grown peat-free in Yorkshire.