Ceanothus sanguineus

Common Names

Red-Stemmed Ceanothus, Céanothe Sanguin, Redstem Ceanothus, Oregon Tea Tree, Buckbrush

Summary

Ceanothus sanguineus is a deciduous shrub native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California and east to Montana, with Michigan occurrences, it grows erect and loosely branched to about 3 meters tall, with red to purple stems, leaves are alternate, deciduous, and 3–10 cm long, they are oval to elliptic with serrate margins, white flower clusters appear in spring and can reach up to about 12 cm in length, often with a pleasant fragrance, the plant is drought-tolerant, fire-adapted, and nitrogen-fixing, supporting wildlife with blooms and habitat, it thrives in sun to partial shade and tolerates dry or moist, well-drained soils, and it is hardy to USDA Zone 5–9, in landscapes it is used for hedges or general planting, bank stabilization, butterfly and bird gardens, and wildlife habitat, offering year-round interest with red stems in winter, pruning in early to mid-spring maintains a spreading, well-shaped form, removing overcrowded or dead wood, older specimens may require head-pruning of about 25%, propagation is by seed, which requires hot water treatment and 3 months of stratification, or by cuttings

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3-10 feet

Spread

3-10 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun. Tolerates partial shade

Soil Type

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil.

Soil pH

5.0-7.0

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds