Ceanothus diversifolius
Pine mat
(c) Stan Shebs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ceanothus diversifolius (Pine mat) is a native California shrub in the Rhamnaceae family, recognized by . Mat-forming habit with rooting nodes and glandular-serrate alternate leaves diagnostic.
Pine mat is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, and Sierra Nevada at elevations of 630 to 2,300 meters in slopes, flats, and oak-conifer forest. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces blue to nearly white flowers in small racemes or occasional umbel-like clusters. Growing as a dense, mat-like plant generally less than 0.3 meters tall, it spreads with flexible green stems that occasionally are tinged red and root at the nodes. Its alternate evergreen leaves are ovate to elliptic, 11 to 35 millimeters long, with blue-green upper surfaces and pale undersides featuring 27 to 42 glandular-serrate teeth. The compact plant forms a low, dense ground cover with short, spreading branches that create a distinctive mat-like appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 30 sympatric species. Mat-forming habit with rooting nodes and glandular-serrate alternate leaves diagnostic.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, flats, oak-conifer forest
Elevation: 630-2300 m
California counties: Tulare, Calaveras, Shasta, Madera, Trinity, Amador, Sierra, Modoc, Kern, Mariposa, Placer, Fresno, Yuba, Lake, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Butte, Alpine, Siskiyou, Nevada
Bloom period
Ceanothus diversifolius blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Rhamnus: Ceanothus has showy blue/white/pink flowers in dense clusters; Rhamnus has tiny inconspicuous greenish flowers.; vs Quercus: Ceanothus has showy flower clusters and small leaves; Quercus has acorns and distinctive lobed or toothed oak leaves.; vs Baccharis: Ceanothus has individual flowers with 5 separate petals; Baccharis has composite flower heads with tiny disc flowers.; vs Cercocarpus: Ceanothus has blue/white/pink flowers in clusters; Cercocarpus has tiny flowers with no petals and feathery fruiting tails.; vs Adenostoma: Ceanothus flowers have 5 distinct colored petals; Adenostoma has tiny white flowers and needle-like clustered leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ceanothus diversifolius native to California?
Yes. Ceanothus diversifolius is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ceanothus diversifolius bloom?
Ceanothus diversifolius blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Ceanothus diversifolius grow?
Ceanothus diversifolius occurs in Tulare, Calaveras, Shasta, Madera, Trinity, Amador, Sierra, Modoc and other counties, at elevations of 630-2300 m.
What plant family does Ceanothus diversifolius belong to?
Ceanothus diversifolius is in the Rhamnaceae family, genus Ceanothus.
What habitat does Ceanothus diversifolius grow in?
Ceanothus diversifolius grows in Slopes, flats, oak-conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ceanothus ferrisiae — Coyote ceanothus
- Ceanothus foliosus — Wavy leaved ceanothus
- Ceanothus foliosus var. foliosus — Wavyleaf ceanothus
- Ceanothus foliosus var. medius — La cuesta ceanothus
- Ceanothus foliosus var. viejasensis — Viejas mountain ceanothus
- Ceanothus foliosus var. vineatus — Vine hill ceanothus
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.