Ceanothus pallidus Marie Simon

Ceanothus pallidus 'Marie Simon' is a deciduous bush full of charm that suits a romantic setting or a flowering hedge. Vigorous and well-branched, it produces a long flowering in frothy panicles of a lovely carnation pink, carried by purple stems, in summer. More resistant to cold than its evergreen cousins the California lilacs, this ceanothus, which often loses its leaves in winter, is also much better suited to cooler climates.

Ceanothus pallidus 'Marie Simon' belongs to the Rhamnaceae family. It is a crossbreed between Ceanothus americanus and C. caeruleus. It is a bush with a rounded habit, highly branched, which reaches approximately 1.75 m (5.7 ft) in height and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in width quite rapidly. Its stems are thin, well-branched, and reddish in colour. They bear ovate to lanceolate leaves of a fairly light green that fall in autumn outside of regions with mild winters. The flowering period is long, from July to early September. One-year-old branches produce branched inflorescences adorned with short panicles, composed of very small flowers with a slight fragrance. Their colour is a salmon pink at first, quickly fading to a flesh pink.

Ceanothuss pallidus 'Marie Simon' is most commonly used in shrub borders or hedges, alongside Snowball Viburnums, lilacs, Deutzia, or Philadelphus mock oranges for example. It is an excellent ornamental bush that can be easily cultivated in a well-prepared ordinary garden soil without excess limestone. It is suitable for coastal areas and can withstand short frosts of around -15° C (5° F). Its charming flowering attracts bees and many pollinating insects.