Silver Surprise Californian Lilac Plants

Ceanothus 'Silver Surprise', Variegated Californian Lilac Plants

With vivid cream and green variegated evergreen foliage that looks like a smooth version of a silver margined Holly, Silver Surprise is a striking shrub in Spring when covered in clusters of small, rich blue flowers. It grows to only 1.2m high.

Ceanothus plants are only delivered pot-grown, year round.

Browse our full range of garden shrubs.

Features:

• Variegated evergreen
• Not suitable for clipped hedging
• Good low-ish wall shrub for sunny borders.
• Clusters of small blue flowers May-July
• Any well-drained soil except chalk
• Max. Height x Spread: 120cm x 90cm
• RHS Hardiness rating H3 (-5C)
• RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Pot-Grown: Year Round Delivery

Growing Ceanothus 'Silver Surprise'

Ceanothus are sun lovers and thrive against a sheltered South or West-facing wall. They need a well-drained but moist soil, ideally neutral to acidic; mildly alkaline is fine, but they are not suitable for chalk. Clay is good on a slope or other location that doesn't hold water in winter.

Their hardiness is rated H3, which means they are not recommended for Britain's coldest regions, and like shelter from cold, drying winds in most of the country.
It is not so much that they won't survive in colder spots, but more that their foliage won't look good in winter, and that is one of the main reasons for growing them!

In Your Garden Design

A shoo in for growing against a sunny, sheltered wall.

Did You Know?

This cultivar was discovered as a sport (one mutant branch) of Yankee Point by Pete Brandt in Herefordshire; its parent is both more vigorous and lacks variegated leaves.