flexible ceanothus
Ceanothus ×flexilis · Rhamnaceae
flexible ceanothus (Ceanothus ×flexilis) is a perennial shrub in the Rhamnaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -23°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 1 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Water need | low USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.9–7.9 USDA |
| Bloom | June USDA |
| Flower color | Blue USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having low water needs once established. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.9 to 7.9 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1 ft, making it a low, mat-forming plant. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June. Flowers are blue.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is dark green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring and summer. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 24 to 35 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 130 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 20 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from cuttings, bare root and container stock. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated medium, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as colonizing.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Ceanothus
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus
- whitethorn ceanothus Ceanothus cordulatus
- buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus
- Fresno mat Ceanothus fresnensis
Similar role and hardiness
- common bugle Ajuga reptans
- silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina
- Pacific bleeding heart Dicentra formosa
- needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis
- coralbells Heuchera sanguinea
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol CEFL4, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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