Spotlight On: Red Stem Ceanothus

Meet red stem ceanothus, aka Ceanothus sanguineus, aka Oregon tea tree, aka soapbloom!

This large shrub is one of the 50-60 members of the genus Ceanothus, which are entirely native to North America. Red stem ceanothus can transform areas with dry, rocky, or poor soil into a butterfly garden. It’s a nitrogen fixer and helps with erosion control. With its fluffy and fragrant white flowers in summer and reddish twigs in winter, it’s visually interesting all year long.

Red stem ceanothus is one of the more compact varieties, topping out at around 10 feet high. It likes full to part sun and prefers dry or well-draining soil. Some of the 80+ butterfly and moth species it hosts are the Ceanothus Silkmoth, Hedgerow Hairstreak, and Pale Swallowtail Butterfly.

Like many ceanothus, it has a rich ethnobotanical history. Its leaves can be used as a black tea substitute, its wood was used by coastal Native Americans to smoke meat, and it contains saponins that help it act as soap complete with fragrant scent from the flowers. Its dried bark was also used to treat burns and sores!

Plant red-stem ceanothus with:

• Arrowleaf balsamroot

• Cascade stonecrop

• Fernleaf biscuitroot

• Narrowleaf milkweed