About Ceanothus pumilus Greene
Ceanothus pumilus is a low-lying shrub that grows as a mat or tangled mound reaching up to roughly 2.5 meters wide. Its small evergreen leaves are arranged oppositely, with a maximum length just over one centimeter per leaf. The leaves are thick, firm, and ribbed, with a shape that is either flat or cupped. The upper leaf surface is hairless and dark green, while the underside is generally hairy and paler in color. Most leaves have a distinctive tip with three teeth, though some have two. Mature branches and twigs are gray, and they are often reddish when young. The inflorescence is an umbel-like cluster of small flowers, which come in shades of blue, lavender, or white. When the flowers first open, they have a closed star-like shape with protruding yellow anthers. The fruit is a horned capsule roughly half a centimeter long. This species is native to the mountains of southern Oregon and northern California. It grows in habitats including coniferous forest and chaparral, and it is most often found on serpentine soils.
