Four years ago, I wrote a column about my newly planted Ceanothus "Concha." I had chosen large plants over less costly small ones because, at my age, deferred gratification didn’t make much sense.

Ceanothus, the wild lilac with varieties native to both California and Oregon, can be seen thriving along the roadside in dry and generally poor soil conditions. (Marci Degman/Special to the Argus) ...

With all the cool, rainy weather we've had this year, drought may be far from your mind. But summer drought is the usual rule in Oregon. And the Oregon State University Extension Service has our backs ...

Those evergreen bushes now breaking out in tufts of vivid blue are ceanothus. Californians call them blueblossom, California lilac or wild lilac although ceanothus is nothing like the familiar, ...