California lilac

Description:

Purple-blue ball-shaped flowers on a shrub that grows about 15 feet at maturity. The bloom is over by early July.

Habitat:

Fairly dry, temperate climate. A cultivar in Victoria; native to the Siskiyou mountains of California.

Notes:

This shrub must have been offered by a local nursery about 30 years ago--the neighborhood is thick with them! Despite the heavy deer population, they seem untouched. Victoria is very short on water, and is in the rain shadow, and these prefer dry conditions so they are perfect for gardens here.