California Lilacs, or Ceanothus, are some of our most fragrant and colorful shrubs here in California. They are also evergreen and very drought tolerant.
The myth of Ceanothus being short-lived is primarily spread by incompetent gardeners that insist on drip irrigation, summer water and soil amendments. Drought tolerant California native plants hate all three (except irrigation the first summer). Expect a 20-25 year life from your Ceanothus in most gardens. We have many Mountain Lilacs in the ground here that still look good after thirty years.Ceanothus are notorious for being loved by deer. However, this is not entirely true. Without water or fertilizing a Ceanothus looks much less appetizing to a deer. Some species are still viewed as candy in areas where deer populations are high. But many are OK in low or
For more information on deer problems see the Deer Page. A note about yellow leaves on Ceanothus. One of the 'bugs' on Ceanothus is the Silk Moth.
You can look at the approximate Ceanothus flowering times here.