shrub
California lilac 'Concha'
Ceanothus 'Concha'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Ceanothus 'Concha' is a fast-growing evergreen shrub for gardens in zones 8–10. Expect 5–7 ft of height and 6–8 ft of spread; our lists space it 6.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun with little water once established. Expect blue flowers in March to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Ceanothus 'Concha'
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Needs fast drainage; summer water shortens its life.
- Mature size
- 5–7 ft tall × 6–8 ft wide
- Spacing
- 6.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Mar–May · blue
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- natural, low water, cottage
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; no known toxic compounds.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 5-gallon pot, typically $35–$60 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Tip-prune right after flowering; avoid cutting old wood.
Sources: Calscape (California Native Plant Society); ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Western extension deer-resistance lists (CSU, UC); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as California lilac 'Concha', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'shrub · zones 8–11
- Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam'Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'perennial · zones 3–9
- Crape myrtle 'Tonto'Lagerstroemia 'Tonto'small tree · zones 7–11
- Lamb's ear 'Helen von Stein'Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'perennial · zones 4–8
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Russian sageSalvia yangii (syn. Perovskia atriplicifolia)perennial · zones 4–9
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for California lilac 'Concha': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants