Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rhamnaceae

Genus:

Ceanothus

Species:

Ceanothus cuneatus var. rigidus

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

300 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white, pale blue

Evergreen Shrub:

Yes

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Requires fire for germination

Fire Notes:

Seeds germinate best after heat or smoke exposure from wildfire. Plants resprout vigorously from crown after fire and are adapted to frequent fire regimes of California chaparral.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–60 days

Notes:

Seeds have hard, impermeable seed coats requiring scarification. Heat or smoke treatment can improve germination rates mimicking fire conditions.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI