Ceanothus purpureus

Holly-leaved ceanothus

Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Holly-leaved ceanothus is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in southern North Coast Ranges and Inland, and northern San Francisco Bay regions in volcanic chaparral at elevations of 145 to 670 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces dark blue to purple flowers in compact umbel-like clusters 1 to 2 centimeters wide. Growing with ascending to erect red-brown stems less than 1.5 meters tall and intricately branched, it forms an open, distinctive shrub. Its evergreen leaves are wide-obovate to elliptic, 12 to 25 millimeters long, with wavy margins featuring 7 to 15 sharp spine-like teeth and green upper surfaces with minutely hairy undersides. The fruit is smooth, 4 to 5 millimeters wide with slender 1 to 2 millimeter horns.

Habitat: Volcanic substrates, slopes, chaparral

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: 145-670 m

Bioregions: s NCoRO/NCoRI, s NCoRI, n SnFrB.

California counties: Napa, Solano, Mendocino, Sonoma, Alameda

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