PlantFiles: Ceanothus, New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus x delilianus 'Gloire de Versailles'

Why this plant is so rare in the trade I'll never know. Uniform in habit (6' tall x 5' wide), my specimen blooms from spring until frost, pest-free. Bees and butterflies love it. It requires no dead-heading or any other maintenance. The nonstop profusion of pale lavender blooms contrasts beautifully with the rosy bundles of berries (they look like little raspberries) and dark green leaves - which take on a burgundy tint in late fall. My plant has been content like this for 6 years, even surviving a transplant without complaint. If you can provide 6 hours or more full sun and rich garden soil you will be similarly rewarded. It's a great specimen in the mixed border, but I contend that it would also make an outstanding deciduous hedge.