Ceanothus parvifolius
Little leaf ceanothus
(c) Frances Oliver, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Frances Oliver · licence
Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ceanothus parvifolius (Little leaf ceanothus) is a native California shrub in the Rhamnaceae family, recognized by deciduous leaves and sticky fruits.
Little leaf ceanothus is a California native shrub found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on slopes, flats, and in conifer forest at elevations of 1,255 to 2,220 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces blue flowers in raceme or panicle-like clusters 4 to 9 centimeters long. Growing as an open, erect shrub less than 1.5 meters tall with flexible green twigs and spreading to ascending branches, it has a distinctive growth pattern. Its alternate leaves are oblong-elliptic, 8 to 21 millimeters long, shiny green on the upper surface and paler underneath, with entire margins and an obtuse tip. The plant produces sticky fruits 3.5 to 5 millimeters wide with no distinctive horns.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; key features are deciduous leaves and sticky fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, flats, conifer forest
Elevation: 1255-2220 m
California counties: Tulare, Fresno, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Calaveras, Butte, Madera, El Dorado, Amador, Placer, Lake, Sonoma, Los Angeles, San Diego, Monterey, Colusa
Bloom period
Ceanothus parvifolius blooms May-Jul.
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 parvifolius native to California?
Yes. Ceanothus parvifolius is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ceanothus parvifolius bloom?
Ceanothus parvifolius blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Ceanothus parvifolius grow?
Ceanothus parvifolius occurs in Tulare, Fresno, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Calaveras, Butte, Madera, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 1255-2220 m.
What plant family does Ceanothus parvifolius belong to?
Ceanothus parvifolius is in the Rhamnaceae family, genus Ceanothus.
What habitat does Ceanothus parvifolius grow in?
Ceanothus parvifolius grows in Slopes, flats, conifer forest.
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.