For those of you living in California, you might be familiar with the plant we are covering today- the Ceanothus Yankee Point. We’ll be looking at some of the characteristics of this plant and also provide some tips on how to properly care for it for those who want to successfully grow it.
Overview Of The Plant
The Ceanothus Yankee Point is a fast-growing evergreen shrub. It retains the green leaves all year round, and fully grown ones can reach up to two or three feet in height. Alongside the green leaves, the shrub also has blue flowers that can bloom profusely and envelop the shrub if properly taken care of.
It can grow ten feet wide which can help it cover a good deal of ground. The shrub is surprisingly durable and has strong roots that help stabilize it. It can survive in a variety of climates other than extremely cold areas.
They are known to attract various small birds as well as numerous butterflies. These shrubs are quite low maintenance and, due to their showy nature, are quite popular for gardens.
Care Guide
Ceanothus Yankee Point is not too difficult to take care of. The main difficulty lies in establishing the plant itself. After that, there isn’t much maintenance needed to ensure it properly grows to maturity and the flowers bloom.
The first step to ensuring the shrub establishes properly is making sure you grow it in the right place. Ceanothus Yankee Point is a native American plant, and while it can be grown in other regions, you will have the easiest time growing it in its native region. You will also have an easier time growing it during Spring or Summer.
Here are some tips to keep in mind about taking care of the plant:
Watering
While some plants have regular watering schedules, that are not the case for the Ceanothus Yankee Point. The shrub requires more water during the start when you’re growing it but requires less water when it has matured.
However, like many plants, too much water is bad and can hurt the shrub when it is matured. Too much water content can cause wood rot. The general rule of thumb is to make sure the soil is moist when you’re growing the plant, as it means there is a decent amount of water in the soil. Dip your finger to test if the soil is moist or not.
If there is water left on the soil, it means it is clogged. You want to avoid this.
Soil
The key thing you need to remember about the soil for this type of shrub is that they need to have drainage channels. This prevents water from clogging and can remove extra water, so maintenance becomes easier.
Neutral soil with clay and some shallow rocks will give the shrubs enough stability as well as allow them to drain water. You don’t need to worry about any alternations in the soil mix once the plant has fully matured.
Light
Ceanothus Yankee Point prefers full sunlight. Generally, 6 hours of sunlight is good enough for this plant. 6 plus hours isn’t bad but not recommended. So you can put it in partial shade for the best results.
Pests And Diseases
While the shrub is easy enough to grow, it is susceptible to attacks by pests and diseases. Alongside attracting butterflies and birds, it can attract certain insects which can eat the leaves and sometimes damage the flowers. It is also susceptible to certain variants of fungal infections, which can cause decay.
For insects, you want to make use of pesticides to be aware of other plants in your garden in case the pesticide damages them. There’s very little to do against fungal infections other than separate the infected leaves to stop the infection.
What Are The Uses Of This Plant?
This plant has two main uses. These are briefly listed below:
Use In Gardens
These plants are popular for use by gardeners. They are quite easy to maintain and add a nice flourish to many gardens with their blue flowers. The shrubs also attract butterflies which is quite favorable.
Bank Stabilization
The shrubs can help stabilize banks and prevent erosion from water. This is due to their roots and uses as ground cover, which helps them be used near rivers.
Conclusion
If you’re planning on working on a garden, the Ceanothus Yankee Point is a good plant to start with due to how easy it is to grow. It also adds a very nice look to your garden, so it is quite noteworthy.