Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Yankee Point' If you’re looking for a plant that provides masses of spring flowers, stays green year round, takes little to no summer water, and thrives on benign neglect, it’s hard to beat California’s wild lilacs (Ceanothus). There are so many kinds of ceanothus that it takes a little research and some trial-and-error to find one that will do well in your garden.  Fortunately, most grow quite fast, so an initial failure is not irreparable. Some ceanothus are wide-spreading ground-huggers.  Others are medium-height mounds.  Still others are tall, upright shrubs that can be gently trained