Bloomipedia
Fendler's ceanothus (Ceanothus fendleri)
Photo: Wendy McCrady via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Fendler's ceanothus

Ceanothus fendleri

Native to Arizona

Fendler's ceanothus is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in April–September.

7states
1,190AZ sightings*
2,311U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona

Quick look

Ceanothus fendleri is a species of flowering shrub native to northern Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and the northeastern Texas panhandle, Utah, Colorado, eastern Wyoming, and western South Dakota. Its typical habitat is pine forests from 1,500 to 3,000 meters in altitude.

  • It belongs to the Rhamnaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
  • In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,190 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #83 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

Fendler's ceanothus gift ideas

Handmade fendler's ceanothus gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in April–September.

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (188 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: SD (S2), WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records fendler's ceanothus in 7 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Graham, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai.

More Arizona flowers

Graythorn (Condaliopsis divaricata)

Graythorn

Condaliopsis divaricata

🌼 Blooms in AZ: February–November
Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

★ AZ state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June
Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)

Creosote bush

Larrea tridentata

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: January–December

Sources