Ceanothus velutinus Douglas ex Hook.
snowbrush (snowbrush ceanothus)
Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
snowbrush (snowbrush ceanothus)
Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
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
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
White
Blooming Period:
Early Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Ceanothus velutinus
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
1030 | 316 | 2020 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
38 | 0 | 170 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
188 | 20 | 296 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 0 | 5 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
B | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
258 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(2), ESSF(12), ICH(76), IDF(112), MS(42), PP(13) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
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.