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Products > Ceanothus Tuxedo ['FIT02'] PP20,754   Ceanothus Tuxedo ['FIT02'] PP20,754 - Tuxedo California Lilac      Habit and Cultural Information Category: Shrub Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorns) Origin: Garden Origin Evergreen: Yes Red/Purple Foliage: Yes Flower Color: Lavender Blue Bloomtime: Summer/Fall Fragrant Flowers: Yes Synonyms: [C. 'Plum Purple'] Parentage: (sport of Ceanthothus 'Autumnal Blue') Height: 6-8 feet Width: 6-8 feet Exposure: Full Sun Drought Tolerant: Yes Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F Ceanothus 'Tuxedo' (Tuxedo California Lilac) - A open evergreen shrub to 6 to 8 feet tall and wide with an upright fan shaped profile and dark, near black, glossy foliage and lavender-blue flowers in terminal clusters 1½ inches wide by 3 inches long in late summer to fall, far later than any of our west coast native species. Plant in full sun. Water occasionally to infrequently. Hardy to 0° F (USDA Zone 8). This plant responds well to pruning and it can be sheared or shaped to keep it smaller. Its dark coloration makes it a great choice to use with contrasting silver foliage plants. Ceanothus 'Tuxedo' originated as a branch sport discovered by Pat Fitzgerald in 2001 on Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue' within a crop of Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue' at Fitzgerald Nursery in Kilkenny Ireland. It was noticed as unique from the rest of the crop as it had distinctive deep plum purple to black leaves. The parent plant, Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue', an older cultivar introduced in England in the 1920's, is a complex hybrid between the California native Ceanothus thyrsiflora and Ceanothus x delilianus, a plant long popular in Europe that itself is a hybrid between the eastern North American Ceanothus americanus and a Mexican species, Ceanothus caeruleus. Ceanothus Tuxedo first made its debut to the US market in the spring of 2009 and is marketed by Tesselaar Plants. It received US Plant Patent 20,754 in February 2010.  The description above is based on our research and observations of this plant growing in our nursery, in our own garden and in other gardens in the Santa Barbara area. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has additional information about this plant, even if they disagree with what we have written.     [MORE INFO]