Ceanothus impressus Selection / 'Vandenberg' Ceanothus

This super-rare California Native is great for local gardens looking to use the beautiful blue-purple flowered Ceanothus but without the 10-15 feet space many of them usually take up.  ‘Vandenberg’, collected by M. Nevin Smith at, you guessed it, Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a fast-growing dense shrub, eventually reaching 3-5 feet high and slightly wider.  Perfect for our local coastal climates, it loves good drainage and almost looks like a mini-version of some of the more famous (and much bigger) Ceanothus on the market, like ‘Dark Star’ or ‘Julia Phelps’.  Use a few to create a small purple-flowered hedge, or use it with Island Bush Poppy for a great Yellow-Purple show. Tiny dark green leaves keep this plant evergreen and attractive all year. This underused plant is fast becoming one of our favorite small native shrubs.  Ask us to point it out to you in our demonstartion gardens. Choice!!