← Bedfellow

Snowbrush

Ceanothus velutinus

A glossy, aromatic evergreen ceanothus that foams with white flower clusters after mountain snowmelt. A nitrogen-fixing fire-follower that bees and butterflies swarm. The leaves brew into a traditional tea substitute.

Family

Rhamnaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

10–10 ft

Spacing

4–8 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

neutral, alkaline

Bloom

April, May, June, July, August

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~45 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen, erosion control

Native states

CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY