Want bees, butterflies to visit your garden? Grow this bright California plant

California lilac

Ceanothus

Planting areas: Widely distributed, from coastal scrub lands to dry, sunny hillsides

Size: Up to 6 feet high and 8 feet wide

Bloom season: Spring

Exposure: Full sun

Pruning needs: None

Water needs: Water regularly the first year to establish the plant, then drought-tolerant.

Snapshot: Ceanothus, also known as California lilac, is the envy of every garden for many different reasons.

These versatile shrubs are fast-growing evergreens that are easy to care for and require very little water once established. Plus, they produce stunningly beautiful blooms ranging from cobalt blue to violet in color that have a sweet fragrance and attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects; some ceanothus flowers even come in white and pink.

Ceanothus varieties can be sprawling or low to the ground, or grow tall and hedge-like.

Ceanothus will grow in a range of different soil types, and most varieties are alkaline tolerant. Plants prefer well-drained soil.

Gardeners can expect a lifespan of at least 20 to 25 years, as long as they refrain from putting their ceanothus plants on drip irrigation, avoid frequent summer watering and do not use soil amendments or fertilizer. The shrubs prefer to fend for themselves, just as they do when growing in the wild.

A good time to plant ceanothus here on the Central Coast is in late fall to early winter.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Want bees, butterflies to visit your garden? Grow this bright California plant."