This 6 to 10' rangy shrub grows on Moscow Mountain and elsewhere in the Northwest. It has reddish-purple stems and tiny white flowers which form fluffy clusters in early June. It is browsed by deer, elk and moose and can die back in a cold winter. It is said to be a butterfly host plant.
It is a member of the Rhamnaceae family. There are ornamental cultivars of this Ceanothus as well as the more tender California natives.