My plant of the week: Ceanothus (Californian Lilac)

My absolute favourite shrub is Californian Lilac, with its mass of beautiful blue thimbles (much loved by bees) at this time of year. I particularly love the variety Concha, which becomes absolutely smothered in blue - some years you can scarcely see the leaves. However, I never seem to get it right with them - mine tend to grow too little or - as below - too much.


Here in Suffolk, they've failed to thrive here in our feeble, sandy soil. The ones I've planted into the ground have soon died; ones in big pots have lasted a few years max but then been hit by particularly hard winters.

My latest purchase is currently looking pretty and I'll plant it out soon. I had an unopened bag of top soil lined up to help create a nurturing new location, but found that the bag is currently home to a zillion ants so I'll need to get some more.


In contrast, the last pair I planted in London (Concha plus another whose name escapes me) grew far too fast, shooting up to more than 10 feet high in just a few years years. For a Ceonothus lover like me, it's hard to to make yourself prune them - every branch lopped off means hundreds of flowers that won't blossom! The two flowering periods were a few weeks apart, extending the 'blue season' for weeks.


I'm hoping that the new plant will manage something in between my two past extremes - healthy but not too rampant. I'm promising it that I'll do my best to tend it well and to give it the best start I can in the hope that it too will be smothered next year.