I have a book on native plants that has a nice long section (10 pages) on ceanothus--"California Native Plants for the Garden", 271 pages, published in 2005 by Carol Bornstein (affiliated Santa Barbara Botanic Garden), David Fross (of Native Sons Nursery), and Bart O'Brien (affiliated with the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden). Here are some excerpts that i hope are helpful: From page 76: "Plant type: Evergreen and deciduous shrubs. Geographic zones: Varies by species. Light: Sun to partial sun. Soil: Adaptable; well-drained preferred. Water: Drought tolerant to occasional. Natural habitat and range: Dry ridges and slopes in coastal scrub, chaparral, open woodlands, and forests below 10,000 feet; across North America from southern Canada to Guatemala." "California's Mediterranean climate supports approximately 60 species and varieties of ceanothus. Members of this widespread genus are found throughout the state. They grow in some of California's harshest habitats, ranging from wind-buffeted coastal headlands to dry, exposed slopes at the edge of the Mojave Desert." From page 77: "California's ceanothus are evergreen with the exception of two rarely grown species." "A species of ceanothus will perform best in a garden where conditions match or approach those found where it grows in the wild. Most California ceanothus grow in areas that experience an extended summer drought. They tolerate a range of soil types but often are located on steep slopes in well-drained soils with low or marginal fertility. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria--found in nodules on their wide-spreading roots--aid in their adaptation to these dry, nutrient-poor conditions. Considering the natural habitat of the genus, it is not surprising that most California species will endure long periods of drought, are intolerant of wet summer environments, and require little or no fertilization." From pages 77-78: "The primary requirements for garden success with ceanothus are a well-drained soil and a light watering hand. Numerous fungal organisms (water molds and rots, such as Fusarium sp., Phytophthora sp., and Rhizoctonia sp.) attack plants in poorly drained soils. These organisms can also present difficulties if cultural practices include frequent summer irrigation. Judiciously applied summer water is acceptable for established plantings and will improve the appearance of most selections, but allow soils to dry between waterings." From page 78: "Many gardeners complain that ceanothus are short-lived landscape plants. This reputation is largely undeserved as in many cases early mortality is the result of improper site selection. Poorly drained soils combined with frequent summer irrigation will kill most ceanothus in a few years...... Most of the California species (and resulting cultivars) have evolved in fire-active plant communities, such as chaparral and coastal scrub. These communties are subject to periodic fires that remove senescent stands, activate dormant seed bank, and cover the charred earth with fresh young seedlings. In their native habitat, many species lose vigor and decline after 15 to 20 years, based on an evolved adaption to fire....." The rest of the text and multiple following pages include details for growing and lots of color pictures and info about various ceanothus of different sizes and growth habit. The authors have selected photos showing ceanothus in numerous garden settings. This they do for lots of other California natives, and I find those pictures really helpful in deciding what and where to plant in my own garden. I love this book and consult it often. Highly recommended! The ISBN is 978-0-9628508-8-5. Melissa

Another vote for Ceanothus 'Dark Star'. I had 'Victoria' as well, but it succumbed to scale (I think) before I discovered it & I had to remove it. I liked it while I had it! (BTW, I'm a mile from the beach) Also agree to coloring on 'DK' being the best. Color in the following pix don't always look true (some I messed with to try to get correct color-it's been too long to say which is which though). March & April of '04, on the hot south side of my house (the one up against the house)~when it was flowering & showing growth habit: Here, 1st pic with Salvia 'Dark Dancer' in the foreground. More from Apr 04. Second pic taken through a window of it in full bloom. First of this set Dec 04, then Mar 05 next 2, then Apr & Jul 05. In the last you can see why I call this my south side jungle! I do water it occasionally. Maybe this is more than you wanted to see! ~Rosemarie

Thanks everyone! I'm still loving this color and think Rockport is definitely my favorite of the grays I've done thus far. rmkitchen, I guess the Rockport looks lighter on the exterior? Chardie, I would love to see your stairs! caminnc, can't wait to see your dining room! Mush, that's the color combo I am going for. Cream sofa, tan drapes. I want to add a bit more turquoise and a splash of orange with pillows and accessories. Maybe next month! catkin, I'll try to post some tomorrow. We've been out of town and I'm on the wrong computer. In the meantime, you can probably find photos by searching my name and the colors I've used. Here is a link that might be useful: Here's my foyer

Hi SK, I have mine planted about 40' from the pool edge. It's 3' up on a retaining wall and what really helps is the small ridge of the wall is enough to keep its litter (actually small amount compared to other trees) from blowing all around the yard. The bees love it when in bloom but I walk right around them and no issues. They grow big! And are susceptible to wind so may need staking since prone to blowing over and uprooting. Updating original topic, I did prune our dear Ray Hartman in July. At first I did a heavy all over thinning because of the wind issues, then hubby came out and wanted a more traditional tree form. Long story short, it is the most horrific Charlie Brown haircut you could ever imagine! But miraculously still alive and even has a few new sprouts. I'll take a before and after photo if it ever recovers but wouldn't dare post it now; it is that bad... like the kind you would see in "how not to prune" guide.