Ceanothus Victoria

Ceanothus Victoria

Ceanothus Victoria (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Victoria) is a fast-growing, evergreen Californian lilac prized for its dense, glossy green foliage and abundant clusters of rich blue flowers in late spring to early summer. Suited to Irish gardens in a sunny, sheltered spot, it makes a fine free-standing shrub or can be trained against a warm wall, maturing to around 23m in time. Plant in fertile, well-drained soil and avoid waterlogging; once established it copes with normal summer dryness. Lightly trim immediately after flowering to maintain shape, avoiding cuts into old wood, as evergreen ceanothus resent hard pruning. The nectar-rich blooms are attractive to pollinators.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Full sun; warm, sheltered site Rate of Growth: Fast-growing Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil; avoid waterlogging Hardiness: Hardy in Ireland in a sheltered, sunny position; protect from cold, drying winds Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Plant at a Glance

light:sun
facing:south
facing:west
soiltype:moderate-fertile
soiltype:light-sandy
soilmoisture:normal
soilmoisture:dry-sandy
foliage:evergreen
flowering:may
flowering:june
flowercolour:blue
leafcolour:green
size:2m-5m
wildlife:attractive-to-pollinators