Herb: Hollyleaf Ceanothus


Latin name: Ceanothus purpureus


Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
April
to June

Habitat of Hollyleaf Ceanothus:

Dry rocky hills below 550 metres.

Other uses of the herb:

A green dye is obtained from the flowers. All parts of the plant are rich in saponins - when crushed and mixed with water they produce a good lather which is an effective and gentle soap. This soap is very good at removing dirt, though it does not remove oils very well. This means that when used on the skin it will not remove the natural body oils, but nor will it remove engine oil etc The flowers are a very good source, when used as a body soap they leave behind a pleasant perfume on the skin. The developing seed cases are also a very good source of saponins. The spreading forms of this species make a useful ground cover, especially on warm sunny slopes.

Propagation of Hollyleaf Ceanothus:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then given 1 - 3 months stratification at 1°C. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 2 months at 20°C. One report says that the seed is best given boiling water treatment, or heated in 4 times its volume of sand at 90 - 120°C for 4 - 5 minutes and then soaked in warm water for 12 hours before sowing it. The seed exhibits considerable longevity, when stored for 15 years in an air-tight dry container at 1 - 5°C it has shown little deterioration in viability. The seed is ejected from its capsule with some force when fully ripe, timing the collection of seed can be difficult because unless collected just prior to dehiscence the seed is difficult to extract and rarely germinates satisfactorily. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Plants usually produce an abundance of seed in British gardens. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, taken at a node, July/August in a frame. This species is difficult to root. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 7 - 12 cm with a heel, October in a cold frame. The roots are quite brittle and it is best to pot up the callused cuttings in spring, just before the roots break. This species is difficult to root.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry rocky hills below 550 metres.

Medicinal use of Hollyleaf Ceanothus:

None known

Known hazards of Ceanothus purpureus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.