CC 2009

Although I am enchanted* by the native plants of New Mexico, it is no secret that I also desperately miss the plants of California. One of the plant genera that I most miss is Ceanothus, of which there are many cultivars (and species) which cover themselves with blue in the spring (and you know how fond I am of blue flowers). Ceanothus is commonly called "California lilac" due to its being frequently a large shrub with fragrant blue/lavender flowers. But in my book, this is no compliment to the Ceanothus.

First of all, Ceanothus has flowers more in the range of true blue than the decidedly purple (or, dare I say, lilac) of lilacs. Second, the Ceanothus is evergreen, with attractive disease resistant leaves, unlike the mildewy leaves of most lilacs. Third, the shrubs are attractive in their own right, often sculptural, unlike the misshapen blobs of the lilac. And lest you think I am biased toward Ceanothus** the fragrance of Ceanothus is nothing to write home about, being typically rather "chestnut"*** instead of the face-powder scent of Syringa vulgaris. Ceanothus (at least the blue species) are also not hardy in areas colder than about zone 8, and I live well within zone 7a, and in a climate distinctly more continental than the Mediterranean climate where Ceanothus is native.

So you can imagine my excitement when this Ceanothus seedling, of a species which is not supposed to survive frosts, survived the first winter here in Albuquerque, despite severe winter damage from record snows (and perhaps just as importantly, summer rains which are supposed to rot the roots). It grew magnificently the next summer, only to be severely damaged again the following winter. Last year, it bloomed well in late summer, on new growth. I blogged gleefully about it here (thank you, Sean Hogan at Cistus nursery!).

Look at it this year. Although there is still some winter damage from the relatively mild past winter, some buds overwintered, and the plant is now blooming 3 months earlier than last year, on a 6-foot shrub. I'm thrilled.**** A little bit of home.

Above, Ceanothus caeruleus, with Eremurus, Ballota, and Cercocarpus breviflorus.

* pun intended, New Mexico being the "Land of Enchantment"
** But really, I am.
*** My friend Steven has a less romantic description of the fragrance typically described as chestnut, but let me put it more delicately than he does: it smells postcoital.
**** Duh.