Ceanothus oliganthus var. orcuttii

San diego hairy ceanothus

Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: tree · Native

San diego hairy ceanothus is a California native tree found in the Peninsular Ranges in chaparral and conifer forest on slopes and ridges at elevations of 400 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces white to pale blue flowers clustered in small, distinctive groups. Growing with twigs that are reddish-brown and softly hairy, it forms a compact and textured shrub-like tree 2 to 4 meters tall. Its leaves are notably hairy on the upper surface, with small, roughly oval blades that provide a dense, textured appearance. The fruit is characterized by prominent wrinkles, adding visual interest to the plant's overall structure.

Habitat: Slopes, ridges, chaparral, conifer forest

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: 400-1500 m

Bioregions: PR

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