Common Name: California lilac
Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Rhamnaceae
Zone: 6 to 9
Height: 2.00 to 4.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Rosy pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Hedge
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Dry Soil
Culture
Best grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates and sometimes appreciates some part afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Best in sandy loams or rocky soils with good drainage. Prefers even rainfall, but tolerates hot, dry sites. Thick, woody roots go deep and help plant withstand droughty conditions, but make established shrubs difficult to transplant. Site in locations protected from strong winds.
'Minmarose' does best in full sun to partially shaded conditions. Hardy in Zones 6-9. Tends to be evergreen in climates with warmer winters and deciduous in the colder end of its hardiness range.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Ceanothus, commonly known as California lilac or New Jersey tea, is a genus containing about 50 species of mostly evergreen, ornamental flowering shrubs of the buckthorn family. Most are native to California (hence the common name of California lilac) with a few from the eastern U.S., Mexico and Guatemala. Size ranges from low-spreading groundcover plants to tall shrubs (10’). Plants have evergreen or deciduous foliage. Lilac-like cylindrical flower clusters bloom in late spring and summer.
Genus name comes from keanothos which is an ancient Greek name relating to some plants in the buckthorn family.
'Minmarose' is a compact, hybrid selection of New Jersey tea that features terminal panicles of rosy pink flowers and maroon-purple stems. The main flowering period occurs in early summer, with sporadic reblooming possible in the fall. Mature plants have an upright, bushy, well-branched growth habit and will reach 4' tall with a 3' spread. Commonly sold at nurseries and garden centers under the name MARIE ROSE.
Problems
Susceptible to leaf spot and powdery mildew. Root rot is a potential problem in poorly drained soils.
Uses
Mixed borders, rock gardens, or native plant gardens. Foundations. Hedge. South-facing walls.