Ceanothus fresnensis

Fresno ceanothus

Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Fresno ceanothus is a California native shrub ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains on rocky slopes and in conifer forests at elevations of 900 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces distinctive blue flowers in compact umbel-like clusters 1 to 2 centimeters long. Growing as a dense, mat-like plant less than 0.3 meters tall with spreading stems that root at the nodes, it features reddish-brown twigs. Its opposite evergreen leaves are small and elliptic to oblanceolate, 4 to 12 millimeters long, with a shiny green upper surface and entire margins. The compact shrub has knob-like stipules and leaves that spread to ascending, creating a distinctive low-growing form.

Habitat: Rocky slopes, flats, conifer forest

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 900-2200 m

Bioregions: n&ampc SN.

California counties: Tuolumne, Fresno, Calaveras, Madera, Tulare, Mariposa, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Plumas

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.