Autumnal Blue Californian Lilac Plants

'Autumnal Blue' hats off to this Autumn-flowering ceanothus. It has glossy green foliage and clusters of small, sky blue flowers that bloom from August to the foothills of winter and is ideal for growing against a wall at the back of a sunny border.

It's a bit bigger than the earlier-flowering Ceanothus 'Lemon and Lime' (also variegated), growing to about 3.5 metres high and wide.

Ceanothus plants are only delivered pot-grown, year round.

Browse our full range of garden shrubs.

Features

Late-flowering evergreen
Good informal screening, not suitable for clipped, formal hedging.
Good backdrop or wall shrub for sunny borders.
Clusters of small blue flowers August - October
Any well-drained soil except chalk
Max. Height x Spread: 3.5m x 3.5m
RHS Award of Garden Merit
Pot-Grown: Year Round Delivery

Growing Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue'

Ceanothus are sun lovers and thrive against a sheltered South or West-facing wall. They need a well-drained but moist soil, ideally neutral to acidic; mildly alkaline is fine, but they're not suitable for chalk. Clay is good on a slope, brow of a hill, or other location that doesn't hold water in winter.

Their hardiness is rated H4, which means they'll be fine in most places outside the coldest regions, as long as they're sheltered from cold, drying winds. Ceanothus don't respond well to hard pruning, so go gently.

Garden Design Ideas

If you want a generous display of autumn colour in your garden then look no further than this abundant sun-worshipper. Leave to stand against a corner of a wall on its owner or pair with splashes of fresh-green euphorbia and Euonymous Emerald n Gold combined with anemones. Follow the blue theme with Irish sibirica 'Caesar's Brother', add touches of purple with Lavander 'Munstead' and shades of pink with sebums.

History & Trivia

Ceanothus belongs to the buckthorn family and there are about 50-60 species within the genus, all native to North America. In California, a State known for its annual show of wildflowers, you can see great shrouds of them adding splashes of colour to hillsides. In America, they can be referred to as California Lilacs, but they are not related to European lilac.

Ceanothus Plants

Autumnal Blue Californian Lilac Plants

Creeping Blue Californian Lilac Plants

Lemon & Lime Californian Lilac Plants

Skylark Californian Lilac Plants

Silver Surprise Californian Lilac Plants

Yankee Point Creeping Californian Lilac