Ceanothus gloriosus var. gloriosus

Point reyes ceanothus, Point Reyes Ceanothus

Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Point reyes ceanothus is a California native shrub found in southern North Coast and northern Central Coast regions, particularly in Marin County, inhabiting sandy places, coastal bluffs, and closed-cone pine forests at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces small clusters of white to blue flowers in compact formations. Growing as a low, spreading mat or mound less than 0.3 meters tall, it develops branches that occasionally root at the nodes, creating a dense ground-covering habit. Its leaves are relatively small, about 23 to 31 millimeters long, with finely toothed margins featuring 13 to 35 distinct teeth. This compact coastal shrub forms intricate, low-growing colonies that provide important ground cover in its native maritime habitats.

Habitat: Sandy places, coastal bluffs, closed-cone-pine forest

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: s NCo, n CCo (Marin Co.).

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