whitethorn ceanothus Rhamnaceae Ceanothus cordulatus Kellogg symbol: CECO Leaf: Alternate, simple, persistent, ovate to elliptical in shape, about 1 inch long, 3-veined with rounded bases, entire margins, and acute to obtuse tips, light green to gray-green above, paler gray-green and glabrous or slightly pubescent, especially along veins below. Flower: Small white, fragrant flowers in a dense panicle-like inflorescence, 1 to 2 inches across, appearing in the spring and early summer. Fruit: 3-lobed capsule, 1/6 inch across, rough in texture, and slightly sticky when young. Twig: Rigid and spiny at the tip, terminal branchlets are thin and divergent. Bark: Smooth, older bark is whitish with yellow-green spiny branchlets. Form: Perennial native, spiny shrub with an intricate branching pattern and a spreading (3 to 6 feet) habit and smooth whitish bark. Looks like: narrowleaf buckbrush - snowbrush - deerbrush - Fendler's ceanothus Additional Range Information: Ceanothus cordulatus is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting whitethorn ceanothus. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson