Big, bold, beautiful, and blessedly easygoing for a California lilac, Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ is one of the best ceanothus selections for garden use. This evergreen California native shrub can be grown as a large shrub or small tree, bringing handsome year-round structure and clouds of soft sky-blue to lavender-blue flowers in spring.

A hybrid of Ceanothus arboreus and Ceanothus griseus, ‘Ray Hartman’ is fast growing, heat tolerant, and notably accommodating, even accepting occasional summer water once established. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators adore the spring bloom, while gardeners appreciate its clean foliage, low maintenance habit, and long-lived performance by ceanothus standards.

Plant Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ in full sun with well-drained soil. Growing about 15' tall and wide, and sometimes larger with age, it makes a superb screen, focal point, habitat plant, or small garden tree. Hardy to about 10–15°F. Explore more blue-blooming natives in our Ceanothus - California Lilac collection.