Redstem Ceanothus
Ceanothus sanguineus
A deciduous, red-stemmed wild lilac that froths with fragrant white flower clusters in early summer. A nitrogen-fixing fire-follower beloved by butterflies and native bees on dry forest edges. The leaves brew into a traditional tea.
- Family
- Rhamnaceae
- Type
- shrub
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 10–10 ft
- Spacing
- 4–8 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade, shade
- Soil moisture
- dry
- Soil pH
- neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- May, June, July
- Bloom colors
- white
- Wildlife value
- butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~45 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- specimen, hedge or screen
- Native states
- CA, ID, MI, MT, OR, SD, WA
Related native plants
More Ceanothus species
- Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus)
- Snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus)
- Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)
- New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
- Chaparral Whitethorn (Ceanothus leucodermis)
- Deerbrush (Ceanothus integerrimus)