These most incredible flowering bushes are in bloom all over the place at the San Francisco Botanical Garden right now. And they are STUNNING.
The Sunset Western Garden book has this to say about growing them:
CEANOTHUS
WILD LILAC
Evergreen shrubs
Zones 5-19, 14-24, except as noted
Full Sun
Little or No Water
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Some species grow in easter U.S., Rocky Mountains, the Northwest, and Mexico, but most are native to California. In flower color, they range from white through all shades of blue, from pale powder blue to deep violet blue. Typically flower in spring. Plants vary greatly in habit: some are low and spreading, others compact and bushy, still others upright and angular. Generally evergreen; a couple listed here lose leaves in cold weather. Only types with small leaves tend to be deer resistant. New varieties (most of them propagated from selected wild plants) appear frequently in nurseries, while old ones disappear. For the widest choice, deal with a specialist in Western natives. In Zones 1-3, 8, 9, stay with varieties tested and sold locally.
Ceanothus sometimes get aphids and whiteflies, but these are easy to control. As a group, plants don't live very long; 5 to 10 years is typical.
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WHAT CEANOTHUS NEED
DRAINAGE: In the wild, plants grow on rocky slopes. Give them light, well-drained soil in your garden.
WATERING: Some demand total dryness, but others (particularly coastal ground cover types) need occasional summer water if grown away from the fog belt. A few tolerate more frequent summer moisture.
PRUNING: Wait until after blooms have faded; avoid cutting off branches that are more than an inch in diameter. Control plant growth by pinching back shoot tips during the growing season.
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