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Ceanothus velutinus

Common name:	Sticky Laurel	Family:	Rhamnaceae
Author:	Douglas. ex Hook.	Botanical references:	11, 71, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Western N. America - British Columbia to Colorado and California.
Habitat:	Moist soils of hills and mountains to 2,600 metres[212]. It often occurs in draws and on the open face of hills, becoming rapidly established on burnt-over mountain slopes[212].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Red Root, Snowbrush [S], Red Root, Sticky [S], Redroot, Snowbrush [S], Snow Brush [S], Snowbrush [DEN1], Snowbrush Ceanothus [P,FEIS], Tobacco-brush [B],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rhamnales. Buckthorn family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Us(Flathead)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 2.5m. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Tea.

The leaves are used as a tea substitute[177, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Analgesic; Antirheumatic; Febrifuge; Poultice; Skin.

The leaves are febrifuge[257]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of coughs and fevers[257]. A decoction of the leaves and stems has been used both internally and externally in the treatment of dull pains, rheumatism etc[257].
The leaves contain saponins and have been used as a skin wash that is also deodorant and can destroy some parasites[257, K]. The wash is beneficial in treating sores, eczema, nappy rash etc[257].

Other Uses

Baby care; Dye; Insecticide; Soap.

A green dye is obtained from the flowers[168].
A poultice of the dried powdered leaves has been used as a baby powder for treating nappy rash etc[257].
Smoke from burning the plant has been used as an insecticide to kill bedbugs[257].
All parts of the plant are rich in saponins - when crushed and mixed with water they produce a good lather which is an effective and gentle soap[168, 169, 212]. This soap is very good at removing dirt, though it does not remove oils very well. This means that when used on the skin it will not remove the natural body oils, but nor will it remove engine oil etc[K] The flowers are a very good source, when used as a body soap they leave behind a pleasant perfume on the skin[K]. The developing seed cases are also a very good source of saponins[K].

Cultivation details

Prefers a warm sunny position but tolerates light shade[11, 200]. Tolerates some lime, but will not succeed on shallow chalk[200].
One report says that this species is hardy to zone 5 (tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c)[200] whilst another says that it needs the protection of a wall when grown outdoors in Britain[1].
Plants dislike root disturbance, they should be planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small[182].
Dislikes heavy pruning, it is best not to cut out any wood thicker than a pencil[182]. Plants flower on the previous year's growth, if any pruning is necessary it is best carried out immediately after flowering has finished[200, 219]. Constant pruning to keep a plant small can shorten its life[200].
Fast growing, it flowers well when young, often in its second year from seed[11].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
The leaves have a strong scent of balsam[200].
Some members of this genus have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200, 212].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then given 1 - 3 months stratification at 1°c[138, 200]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 2 months at 20°c[138]. One report says that the seed is best given boiling water treatment, or heated in 4 times its volume of sand at 90 - 120°c for 4 - 5 minutes and then soaked in warm water for 12 hours before sowing it[214]. It then requires a period of chilling below 5°c for up to 84 days before it will germinate[214]. Seeds have considerable longevity, some that have been in the soil for 200 years or more have germinated[214]. The seed is ejected from its capsule with some force when fully ripe, timing the collection of seed can be difficult because unless collected just prior to dehiscence the seed is difficult to extract and rarely germinates satisfactorily[214]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, taken at a node[200], July/August in a frame[11].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 7 - 12 cm with a heel, October in a cold frame[78]. The roots are quite brittle and it is best to pot up the callused cuttings in spring, just before the roots break[78]. Good percentage.

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: The leaves have a strong scent of balsam.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[S] Image from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] SW USA Dist. Maps from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Image from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for the family Rhamnaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[71] Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959
An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[138] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.

[214] Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994 ISBN 1352-4186
A quarterly magazine, it has articles on Himalayacalamus hookerianus, hardy Euphorbias and an excellent article on Hippophae spp.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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