Shrubs, evergreen, 0.3–3.5 m. Stems erect, ascending, arcuate, or prostrate, not rooting at nodes; branchlets green, not thorn-tipped, round or slightly angled in cross section, flexible, villosulous. Leaves: petiole 1–3 mm; blade flat or ± folded lengthwise, narrowly elliptic to oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, 5–24 × 3–13 mm, base obtuse to rounded, margins entire or weakly glandular-denticulate most of length, ± thick, not revolute, usually wavy, sometimes not wavy, teeth 31–42, apex obtuse, abaxial surface pale green to grayish green, villosulous or glabrous and sometimes sparsely puberulent on veins, adaxial surface dark green, glabrous or sparsely puberulent; pinnately veined or faintly 3-veined from base. Inflorescences axillary, umbel-like to racemelike, 1–3.5(–7) cm. Flowers: sepals, petals, and nectary pale to dark blue. Capsules 3–4 mm wide, weakly lobed at apex; valves smooth, not or weakly crested.

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora): California.

Lower Taxa

• Ceanothus foliosus var. foliosus
• Ceanothus foliosus var. medius McMinn
• Ceanothus foliosus var. vineatus McMinn
• Rhamnaceae Jussieu