Plant in full sun and provide good drainage. Requires little or no water in summer. It is hardy to 15 degrees F. Best suited to coastal gardens where it is one of the showiest and most popular cultivars of California lilac - useful as a beautiful informal screen or a feature shub. Noted as less attractive to predation by deer but still eaten when they get hungry.

This cultivar was introduced by Ken Taylor in 1971, who selected it from seelings planted in his Aromas, California garden in 1968. It is believed to be a cross between the Santa Barbara Ceanothus, Ceanothus impressus and Ceanothus papillosus var. roweanus (now considered to just be a compact form of Ceanothus papillosus). We have grown this great plant since 1983.

The genus name comes from the Greek word keanthos which was used to describe a type of thistle and meaning a "thorny plant" or "spiny plant" and first used by Linnaeus in 1753 to describe New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus. 

This information about Ceanothus 'Dark Star' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.