Sometimes after it finishes blooming, my Ceanothus concha will drop some leaves. How long have you had it? It is not instantly drought tolerant but needs some irrigation the first year. It does not like summer water. Do you know what variety it is?

Please let us know the name of the Ceanothus you have. Some are better garden varieties and can take a bit of summer water, like Valley Violet and Concha. How often are you watering it and when was it planted? Depending on the variety and how long it has been in the ground, you may be over watering it. If it isn't established (usually 1-2 summers), you should only water it when the soil is completely dry. Check with a moisture meter or stick you finger in the soil to see what is going on. It really needs the soil to dry out between watering.

I put it in the ground about 10 months ago. I will look up the exact variety when I get home, but it is from Annie's Annuals.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=4727

I water it fairly lightly once a week, taking care not to overwater. It hasn't really dropped any leaves and is not at all brittle, but as you can see, it does not look terribly healthy.

See if any of Moosa's tips help!

I love Annie's Annuals! If you bought a 4" it looks like it is growing pretty well. I am in region 9A. I currently have Valley Violet and Concha in my yard. I watered them once every 7-10 days until they were established. They have been in the ground for 4 years, so now I don't water them unless they are looking stressed. It has been really hot in my area this summer, so I have watered both a couple of times when the weather is on the "cooler side". Sounds like you are in a much cooler area and probably wouldn't need to water as much. Stick your finger in the soil and see if it is moist around the rootball. If it is, don't water.

5birdy - Thanks for sharing the Moosa Creek Nursery website. There really is some great information at this site. I am now on the hunt for a Skylark Ceanothus. Wish I lived in So. Cal so I could pick one up :)

You can order from Moosa Creek for pick up at a retail nursery that carries their plants. Very handy.

I love Valley Violet. I have one tucked into a corner of my yard that's hard to see, but it's so pretty in bloom so I'm going to plant a couple more this next fall.

No such luck JX. They don't seem to have any retail nurseries in Northern CA, but thank you for the tip.

I really like Valley Violet too. It is such a great size, so anyone can put it in their yard. Mine blooms in late winter, just in time for all the female bumble bees to have a spot to nectar/collect pollen at.

Yes Kerry, I LOVE Moosa Creek! Bought most of my yard ordering online at their website (and replacements for my steep learning curve failures) and choosing a nursery right across the street from my husband's office. It appears the farthest north they deliver their plants is in Riverside.

Las Pilitas has Skylark available online for shipping. I ordered from them the first time this past January, only choosing very rare or locally unavailable plants due to the higher cost of plant + shipping. Very pleasantly surprised. Plants shipped out on a Monday and arrived quickly. Selected 14 plants (which all fit in one box) and the shipping to me was about $50. The software estimates a little higher but Penny only charges the exact amount. The directions want you to plant ASAP so I was very very busy digging. And most are still surviving :)

Both websites have very handy valuable information which I cross reference. I haven't tried ordering online from Annies yet but she's on my list to try. After this hotter-than-usual summer, my new native plants are dying left and right so there will be plenty of brown spots to fill in. Valley Violet looks pretty in pics... (salivating wishing I lived either more coastal or more northern)

I refer to Las Pilitas regularly but have never purchased from them on-line. Thanks for letting me know you were pleased with their shipping/service and that they have availability on Skylark. Nice of you to check, thanks! I will definitely keep this in mind if I can't find it at my go to Fall native plant sale. I have never ordered from Annie's. It is about an hours drive from my house, so on special occasions I head over there and always purchase something. I can tell you that their plants are amazing. They seem to put such care into everything they propagate/sell, so I would definitely order from them if I were you :)

Why don't you think you can plant Valley Violet? Where do you live?

It turns out that mine is Ceanothus Maritimus.

Annie's Annuals ships nice plants that are well packed. Digging Dog Nursery is also very good, but their shipping fees are high.

maritimus can take some additional water during the summer (in hotter inland areas) but due to the color of your leaves, I still am leaning towards over watering just based on your zone. Are you in one of the cooler inland climates?