Plant in full sun (coastal) and water infrequently to occasionally - is drought tolerant when grown along the coast, but require occasional summer irrigation and part shade in hot, inland sites. Hardy to 15 degrees F. 'Joyce Coulter' is useful as a large-scale, mounding groundcover and is notable for its tolerance of regular irrigation and heavy soils.

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. Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter' is thought to be a hybrid between Ceanothus papillosus and Ceanothus griseus (now thyrsiflorus var. griseus), this 1962 introduction Saratoga Horticultural Fondation introduction was found by John Coulter (1910-2009) in his own nursery crops at his Coulter's Nursery in San Carlos, California and he named it for the wife Joyce. We have been growing this great plant at the nursery since 1980. 

The information about Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include 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 we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.