Ceanothus velutinus

Ceanothus velutinus can be pulped and made into corrugated cardboard.
Photo Credit: © R.A. Howard, Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution, Dept. of Systematic Biology, Botany.
Ceanothus velutinus
Common Name: snowbrush ceanothus
Plant Functional Group: Evergreen broadleaf
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Rosales > Rhamnaceae
What does the species look like?

Snowbrush ceanothus is a nitrogen-fixing, evergreen, multi-stemmed shrub growing 2 to 9 feet tall, and occasionally up to 13 feet tall. Its tiny, white flowers have both male and female parts, and are grouped into open to dense, showy clusters. The flowers are pollinated by insects.

Snowbrush ceanothus grows in open woods and mountain slopes; it is most abundant on rocky soils on logged or burned areas. It prefers soils that are moderately acidic to neutral, light to medium coarse, and of granitic origin. It is shade intolerant.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, BC, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Young leaves
One or more young, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "young" and "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from a breaking bud, stem node or growing stem tip, so that the leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the leaf stalk (petiole) or stem, but before the leaf has reached full size or turned the darker green color or tougher texture of mature leaves on the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.

How many young leaves are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Flowers Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds or inflorescences that are swelling or expanding, but do not include those that are tightly closed and not actively growing (dormant). Also do not include wilted or dried flowers.
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How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.
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What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Ceanothus velutinus, the fruit is a sticky capsule that changes from green to brown and splits open, sometimes explosively, to expose the seeds. Do not include empty capsules that have already dropped all of their seeds.
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How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Ceanothus velutinus, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned brown and has split open to expose the seeds. Do not include empty capsules that have already dropped all of their seeds.
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What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
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How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for snowbrush ceanothus (USDA Symbol: CEVE )