Ceanothus - hardy variety

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by iriemann, May 1, 2009.

  1. iriemann

    iriemann Member

    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver
    Last winter seems to have killed off a huge amount of Ceanothus' in the city (Vancouver). Is there a hardier variety(s) that exists?
     
  2. Gordo

    Gordo Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    329
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Camano Island, WA
    Agreed, I think I have lost my plant - the variety called "Dark Star". I have noticed that the most commonly sold variety around here, "Victoria" seems to have escaped unscathed in my neighbor's yards. Perhaps there is a reason for it's popularity.
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,251
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    'Dark Star' is not particularly hardy. 'Skylark' (probably the correct name for 'Victoria') was left shabby enough in the one part of the Camano Island garden that I took it out. Left in place it would have come back fine, but I have another one at the other end of the property anyway. Both had some leaf damage.

    Look for the Fross/Wilken Timber Press book Ceanothus, it gives hardiness information for each.
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2009
  4. cindys

    cindys Active Member

    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Victoria (Fairfield) BC Canada
    My Ceanothus Victoria didn't survive this last winter (Victoria was the name on the plant tag). It was in a very sheltered location too...right next to the house, with the overhang providing some protection from the snow. There is a book all about Ceanothus (Ceanothus By David Fross, Dieter Wilken Published by Timber Press, 2006 ISBN 0881927627, 9780881927627 272 pages). The preview available on Google Book Search says that Victoria is believed to be Skylark. More interestingly, it says that "In 1972, plants survived repeated nights of 10 F ((-12C) with daytime temperatures not rising above 30F (-1C)" However, here in Vancouver, we had a couple of nights in a row of -11C, but the daytime temperatures were colder than -1C...maybe that is what made the difference?
     
  5. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    629
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Victoria [Saanich, actually, northeast of Victoria
    My Victoria Ceonothus did get some damage, but minor, and was in a location tucked in among some other shrubs which probably sheltered it somewhat from winds. It will be interesting to see if I get any bloom this year. I did cut out two sections from the ground area as I wanted a more tree-like form, and the remaining central core of the plant is now shaped like a small tree about 4 feet high, with a trunk [lower branches pruned off]. Just an experiment.
     

Share This Page