Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rhamnaceae

Genus:

Ceanothus

Species:

Ceanothus fernandezii

Growth Characteristics

Height:

100 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white

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

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Requires fire for germination

Fire Notes:

Crown-sprouting after fire with vigorous regrowth. Seeds germinate best after fire or heat treatment, showing classic fire-dependent reproductive strategy common to California chaparral Ceanothus.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–60 days

Notes:

Scarification followed by cold stratification improves germination. Seeds may benefit from smoke treatment or hot water scarification to simulate fire conditions.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI