Word #115

Botany

I am discovering all sorts of interesting plants
around our new home. I believe this is an indigenous ground
cover, but am not sure. Right now it has little blue flowers
and it has small holly like leaves with lots of thorns
on each leaf. Not exactly what one would want to walk on
with bare feet. Any ideas what this might be?
Ahah- I found out what it is!

Identification

Ceanothus prostratus Squaw Carpet and Prostrate Ceanothus.

Gallery

Ceanothus prostratus

Ceanothus prostratus is a flat mat that does well in part shade inland , full sun near coast or in cool summer areas.

Description

Squaw Carpet is an evergreen ground cover that grows on open slopes and under Douglasi Firs, Jeffrey or Ponderosa pines from near seal level to 7000+' elevation.  Prostrate Ceanothus  is an excellent groundcover where it stays mild all year or you know you will have snow on the ground from December to March. On winter exposed sites(below 0F) it will give you problems.  In inland summer heat  it will give you problems in full afternoon  sun.  In its range the summers do not get much above 80 deg., ever, and the soil is fairly dry from July to December. Ceanothus prostratus will take some summer water and can tolerate garden conditions fairly well, as long as it's kept cool in the afternoon. If you have a mountain cabin or a house in San Francisco you'd like to look like a mountain cabin, this is one of the plants you should be looking for.
We have a couple planted next to one of the greenhouses where it gets almost full sun, just a little late afternoon protection and it is growing fine. It's mounding about one foot tall.