This Sea of Ceanothus blooms is typical of this densely flowering shrub. Most Ceanothus are blue flowering, evergreen shrubs from low growing prostrate forms to good sized bushes (this one is 5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide).
The blooms are very attractive to bees and hover flies and during flowering it is covered from dawn till dusk with pollinating insects. They grow from cuttings so I have take to dotting them around the garden in case I loose one or two but they seem quite hardy.

Varieties of Ceanothus

• Hilliers manual of trees and shrubs lists over 50 species and varieties of Californian Lilac (so called because Ceanothus are native to California no surprise there!)
• Ceanothus arborus ‘Trewithen Blue’ and ‘Puget Blue’ have deep coloured flowers.
• The dwarf Ceanothus Blue Mound is good for seaside locations and will thrive by the sea.
• The deciduous Ceanothus Topaz is medium sized and needs slighly less protection than other Ceanothus.
• There are  white flowering   varieties like C. verrucosus  and C. velutinus but I do not grow them currently.
• The soft blue colours associate well with Roses but also look good as specimen shrubs.