Italian Skies California Lilac
Ceanothus 'Italian Skies'
Height: 7 feet
Spread: 8 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 7b
Description:
A dense, mounded shrub with dark green glossy foliage that discourages weeds; beautiful sky blue flower clusters add color in the spring; perfect for shrub borders and screening; very drought tolerant once established
Ornamental Features
Italian Skies California Lilac is bathed in stunning cymes of sky blue star-shaped flowers along the branches from mid to late spring. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.
Landscape Attributes
Italian Skies California Lilac is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
- Spreading
Italian Skies California Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Italian Skies California Lilac will grow to be about 7 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.
