Flower profile

Snowbrush ceanothus

Ceanothus velutinus

Snowbrush ceanothus (Ceanothus velutinus) is a shrub or small tree in the Rhamnaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Snowbrush ceanothus is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

10states where USDA records it

4Bloomipedia state lists include it

8,290U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming

Quick look

Ceanothus velutinus, with the common names snowbrush ceanothus, red root, tobacco brush, and sticky laurel, is a species of shrub in the family Rhamnaceae. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Colorado.
From Wikipedia's article Ceanothus velutinus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rhamnaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada. ^NatureServe
In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 10 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,943 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #91 among the 184 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 667 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #39 among the 143 flowers on our Idaho list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 570 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #46 among the 113 flowers on our Wyoming list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (729 records)

Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Oregon	Native	May–July	1,943
Idaho	Native	few records (36)	667
Wyoming	Native	few records (44)	570
Nevada	Native	June	538

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
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 snowbrush ceanothus in 10 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Polk, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Yamhill.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Benewah, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Boundary, Butte, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lincoln, Oneida, Owyhee, Shoshone, Twin Falls, Valley, Washington.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Crook, Fremont, Johnson, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, Washakie, Weston.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Snowbrush ceanothus a high shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.5 to 8.3 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 6.5 to 8.3
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 120
Annual precipitation range: 14 to 40 inches
Minimum root depth: 18 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: Field Collections Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CEVE. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 168 counties across 10 states; the most are in Idaho (28), Oregon (26), California (25).

Other Ceanothus on Bloomipedia (3): New Jersey tea, Blueblossom, Fendler's ceanothus.

More from the Rhamnaceae family (4 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Graythorn.

More Oregon flowers

Blueblossom

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Oregon gardens

Pacific trillium

Trillium ovatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in OR: March–May

Salal

Gaultheria shallon

Native

🌼 Blooms in OR: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CEVE.
iNaturalist, Ceanothus velutinus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Ceanothus velutinus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Ceanothus velutinus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: msieges via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.