About Ceanothus jepsonii Greene
Ceanothus jepsonii Greene is a variable evergreen shrub species with two recognized varieties. Ceanothus jepsonii var. jepsonii is a spreading plant that reaches up to around half a meter in height. It produces blue or purple flowers in inflorescences, and bears spherical fruits. The second variety, Ceanothus jepsonii var. albiflorus, has white flowers, grows to a maximum height close to one meter, and produces more oblong fruits. Both varieties share the same leaf characteristics: firm, toothed leaves arranged oppositely, curved, often spiny and holly-like, with edges that curve under. The flowers of this species typically have a musky scent. This shrub is endemic to California. It grows in dry, shrubby habitat within the San Francisco Bay Area and the Coast Ranges to the north, and it often occurs on serpentine soils.
