Ceanothus velutinus Douglas ex Hook. var. velutinus
snowbrush (snowbrush ceanothus)
Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
snowbrush (snowbrush ceanothus)
Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Map
Distribution of Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus
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Species Information
General:
Evergreen shrub 0.5-2 m tall; stems numerous, prostrate to erect, green, minutely hairy to smooth.
Leaves:
Alternate, the blades egg-shaped to elliptic, 5-10 cm long, smooth, shiny above, often tinged with brown and sticky above, greyish-hairy to smooth below, finely toothed; stalks 1-2 cm long; stipules 1 mm long, deciduous.
Fruits:
Capsules, 4-5 mm long, 3-lobed, separating into 3, dehiscent, rounded carpels, the carpels slightly crested above; seeds 1 per carpel.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC.
1. Leaves smooth on lower surface, at least on the veins; plants occurring W of the Coast-Cascade Mountains....................var. hookeri M. C. Johnson
1. Leaves finely short -hairy on lower surface; plants occurring E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains......................var. velutinus
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry rocky slopes, shrublands, open forests and burns in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common on S BBC except rare on Vancouver Island; E to SW AB and S to SD, CO and CA.Status Information
| Scientific Name | Origin Status | Provincial Status | BC List (Red Blue List) | COSEWIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceanothus velutinus var. hookeri | Unknown/Undetermined | SU | Unknown | Not Listed |
| Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus | SU (2020) | Unknown | Not Listed | |
| Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus | Native | S5 | Yellow | Not Listed |
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.