Ceanothus foliosus
Wavy leaved ceanothus
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ceanothus foliosus (Wavy leaved ceanothus) is a native California shrub in the Rhamnaceae family.
Wavy leaved ceanothus is a California native shrub found in coastal and montane regions of central and southern California in chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitats. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces blue to purple flowers in compact racemes 1 to 4 centimeters long. Growing with flexible erect to spreading stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall, the shrub displays green to red-green twigs with an open to dense growth pattern. Its distinctive evergreen leaves are wavy, oblong to widely elliptic, 5 to 20 millimeters long with dark green upper surfaces and paler undersides, featuring 31 to 42 gland-toothed margins. The compact shrub has small leaves that fold lengthwise and remain an attractive deep green throughout the year.
Habitat and range
California counties: Mendocino, Humboldt, San Diego, Napa, Alameda, Marin, Lake, Sonoma, Santa Clara, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Nevada, Los Angeles
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 foliosus native to California?
Yes. Ceanothus foliosus is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Ceanothus foliosus grow?
Ceanothus foliosus occurs in Mendocino, Humboldt, San Diego, Napa, Alameda, Marin, Lake, Sonoma and other counties.
What plant family does Ceanothus foliosus belong to?
Ceanothus foliosus is in the Rhamnaceae family, genus Ceanothus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.