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Juett, William
Ceanothus greggii
Ceanothus greggii A. Gray
Desert Ceanothus
Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: cegr
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Shrub 3-6 feet with small, half-evergreen, leathery leaves and crowded fragrant clusters of small white or blue flowers.
The species name “greggii” was named for Josiah Gregg, (1806-1850). He was born in Overton County, Tennessee. In the summer of 1841 and again in the winter of 1841-42 he traveled through Texas, up the Red River valley, and later from Galveston to Austin and by way of Nacogdoches to Arkansas. He took note of Texas geology, trees, prevalent attitudes, and politics. At the same time, Gregg began compiling his travel notes into a readable manuscript. His “Commerce of the Prairies”, which came out in two volumes in 1844, was an immediate success. In 1848 he joined a botanical expedition to western Mexico and California, during which he corresponded with and sent specimens to the eminent botanist George Engelman in St. Louis. Subsequently, the American Botanical Society added the Latin name “greggii” in his honor to twenty-three species of plants. Gregg died on February 25, 1850, as a result of a fall from his horse.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Semi-evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , BlueDistribution
USA: AZ , CA , NM , NV , TX , UTGrowing Conditions
Light Requirement: SunSoil Moisture: Dry
Benefit
Use Wildlife: It provides browse for deer, elk, and rabbits. Chipmonks and other small animals, as well as quail, eat the small seeds.Fragrant Flowers: yes
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesSupports Conservation Biological Control
This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Bibliography
Bibref 481 - How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest: Revised and Updated Edition (2001) Nokes, J.Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Ceanothus greggii in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Ceanothus greggii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ceanothus greggii
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-12-02Research By: TWC Staff