January 7

How To Grow Blue Blossom Ceanothus

Imagine a beautiful garden with a multitude of flowers, bees and butterflies all around. You can have it too!

Blue Blossom Ceanothus is an excellent addition to gardens, and they are responsible for bringing butterflies and birds into your lawn. These blue blooms look beautiful and can be the highlight of your front lawn. 

I was initially looking for something to cover up an ugly wall when I came across this flower at one of my friend’s places. She had a different variant, but she was happy to tell me about it. I immediately came home and did my research before purchasing this shrub. 

Today my garden wall is covered by these blooms, and many of my neighbors have asked me about it. So, I decided to curate this guide to help anybody who plans to grow this in their homes.

Hi! I am Stacy Smith, and today I will take you through this guide. Dive in!

Factors To Remember Before Planting

1. Evergreen Or Deciduous

Blue Blossom Ceanothus is mostly an evergreen plant, but there are deciduous varieties too. Now, if you are a gardening enthusiast like me and want to cover an ugly wall with beautiful blooms, then choose the evergreen variety. Your garden will always be filled with greenery, and the wall can become the perfect backdrop for winter pictures. 

I used it to cover one side of the backyard wall and then set up porch furniture beside it. Now I have the perfect place to host sundowners or tea parties. 

On the other hand, if you have an exposed space, you can go for the deciduous variety, which will lose its leaves in winter. These work well if you want a winter landscape right in front of the house. They look good with ice and Christmas decorations. 

But the deciduous kind is more susceptible to strong winds and damage due to frost; remember that before making a purchase.

2. Shape And Size

My friend Angie helped me with these details, and needless to say, I am incredibly thankful to her for it. There are 2-3 different varieties of Ceanothus that you can choose from. 

If you want good ground coverage, you can opt for a low-growing version that spreads well and is compact. This variety works to cover empty or barren patches well. Also, if you have patio furniture set up in the garden, this can be used to surround it. 

On the other hand, if you are looking for plants that will work as a great border and are slightly taller than the previous one, then go for a bushy shrub. These are perfect for border walls or to surround a lawn. 

Moving on, for wall training, you can choose a taller-growing cultivar that will cover the entire wall surface in less time. This has worked out very well for me and I would suggest that you try it too.

3. Choosing The Right Flower

The Blue Blossom Ceanothus is a beautiful flower that makes for a great display. It can be used as accent blooms in a garden, but you got to choose the right variety. Know that there are multiple shades of blue that you can choose from. 

Visit a local nursery to choose one that works best for your garden. I would suggest that you make a note of the other shades that are present and then settle for one which fits your planting scheme. Also, pay attention to the scent as some blossoms have a light fragrance. If you like it, then choose a variety which has fragrance.

blue blossom ceanothus

Process Of Planting

To make it easier for you, I have listed down the points to remember before you plant. I will begin with the time of plantation and then move on to where and when to plant. Keep these steps in mind so that you have a flawless experience. 

1. When Is The Right Time To Plant?

There are 3 ways in which you can plant this, but remember not to plant in winter at all. This is because the roots are prone to damage if they are placed in wet and cold soil. The best time, in my opinion, is spring. During spring, the weather is perfect, and the plants will get enough warmth and sunlight to grow well. 

If the soil is free-draining, then you can even plant in autumn. Also, in case you are buying the plant in a container, remember to shift it to your lawn as soon as you can. This is required so that the roots can spread well and attach themselves to the soil. 

Angie advised me to water the plants regularly in the beginning, and you can even water twice a day in case of a dry climate. This will help the roots to grow well, and then once you see growth, you can reduce the frequency of watering. 

2. What Is The Best Location To Plant?

To begin with, remember that Blue Blossom Ceanothus blooms the best under the sun. Place it in a location where it receives direct sunlight, and it will not disappoint you. 

Also, never place this plant in the shade as it will not blossom well. I found that the ones which were planted under a tree died while the ones that received complete or partial sunlight bloomed very nicely. 

Another thing to keep in mind is to protect them from direct wind. It is best if there is a wall that prevents wind and frost from directly affecting the plants. I had planted them right next to my south-facing wall, and they are blooming really well. 

If you want your plants to wind up a wall or a fence, you will need to provide them with support. That means placing a wire or trellis may help a lot. That will help the plant understand the direction in which they should be growing. 

3. Preparing the Soil 

As I have already mentioned, you will need fertile and well-drained soil for this plant to grow. Now, if your garden soil is not well-drained, there is a way to make it better. I suggest that you create organic manure that has well-rotted over time and add it to the soil. 

Add some dead leaves, too, and cover them with a thin layer of soil. This will create spaces that will allow water to drain. Remember, if the soil is heavy or very wet, the plant’s growth may be affected. 

blue blossom ceanothus

How To Maintain The Plant?

1. Watering

Most shrubs need a lot of water in the beginning, and this one is no exception. You will need to provide it with a lot of water in the beginning for a year or two so that the roots are well established. 

Once that is done, you will have a drought-tolerant plant that can survive years with significantly less water. This quality makes it perfect for Mediterranean themed gardens. Yes, you will have to water the plant, but you do not need to do it very often. This is because the plant cannot survive on wet soil, and hence it has to dry completely before you add water again. 

But be cautious if you have very free-draining soil, or there are long dry spells. Then it is best to water often, thus ensuring that the leaves stay green. 

2. Adding Fertilizers

This plant does not require you to keep adding fertilizers, and you can only do it once after pruning. The best time to feed the soil is spring, and that should be in March or late February.  

You will need to sprinkle fertilizer on the soil, and you could use something like Growmore. A quantity of 20 oz is all that’s required for an area of 1 square yard. Add this with organic matter or compost that you might have created in the house itself. 

Also, just leave a circle around the plant which is mulch free. Once this is done, the plant will not rot, and you can expect a good growth. 

3. Tying In 

These flowers look gorgeous when they cover walls, fences, or doorways, for that matter. But for that, you cannot allow them to grow naturally, and they will need to be shown direction. You can use garden twine to direct it. I would suggest that you stay away from steel wires as they might cut through the stem. 

Use the garden twine in places where you feel the plant will need extra support. You have to check it only once a year to see if any of the support has fallen. Otherwise, it is capable of growing well in the direction that you prefer. 

4. Pruning The Plant

If you have got an evergreen variant, then you can prune it once a year to maintain the bushy shape; regular or routine pruning will not be needed. I usually prune in late-spring or in early summer for the best results. 

However, if you have got the deciduous variant, then you will need to take more care of the plant to ensure that flowers do grow. This will mean that you prune it in early or mid-spring to ensure new blooms. You might need to prune it again within the year, depending on how it blossoms.

Is There A Way To Renovate Old Plants?

First, let me discuss the evergreen plant, which is not meant to be renovated. Yes, they do not respond to a lot of pruning and will probably die off. In such cases, I recommend that you get a new plant instead of trying to revive the old one. 

But in the case of the deciduous variant, it can be renovated, although the process is pretty slow. Hard pruning is possible when the plant is not growing, and that happens in late February or early March. Here, the plant can be pruned down to the ground level and then allowed to grow again. 

blue blossom ceanothus

Problems That Can Occur

Now, this is a pretty resistant shrub and is not usually affected by pests and insects. However, it is prone to attack by scale insects that include honey fungus and brown scale. 

Otherwise, in case the climate or the soil is not suitable for your plant, it will be susceptible to frost damage and cold wind. As I’ve already mentioned, this can be prevented if the plants are placed near a wall that blocks the wind and frost. 

Also, if the soil is very wet, the plant does not grow well in it. In this case, it might face very slow or poor growth, and the roots may rot. If this happens, consult your local nursery to see if the soil is suitable at all. You can try adding dried leaves and compost to the soil before planting them again. This can make the soil more suitable and well-drained. 

The third possibility is that the leaves may become yellow. Now that could happen because of nutrient deficiency when placed in chalky soil. To escape this, you can prune the dead or yellow leaves and then water the plant regularly again. Adding nutrients to the soil might also help. But make sure that you do not put manure too near the roots.

Final Words

Remember that hard pruning is not needed for this plant. It has to be given the space to bloom well, and the roots and branches need to spread out for that. So, allow every plant enough space, and you will not be disappointed. 

Also, there are variants that can grow up to 30 feet while others can only grow up to 2-3 feet. Hence, make sure that you choose the right variant before planting. 

With this, I have reached the end of this guide. Let me know about your experience in the comment section below, and I will be back soon with other tid-bits. 

Till then, happy gardening!


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