There are many different forms of wild lilac, Ceanothus spp., ranging from low sprawling ground cover types that get only about two feet deep, to dense shrubs that get a few feet tall and broad, to relatively open and irregular shrubs that are a bit larger. The largest can become a small tree with multiple trunks as tall and broad as twelve feet. Wild lilac flowers can be any shade of blue ranging from deep dark blue to soft pale blue. Only a few have white or pinkish flowers. Some wild lilacs have leaves that are glossy and round like nickels. Others have small but thick and roughly textured leaves, like bacon bits.

However, almost all bloom in early spring, are evergreen, and want well drained soil. Only a few lose their leaves where winters are cold. Most prefer infrequent irrigation or none at all, although some of the ground cover types like to be watered occasionally through summer. Wild lilacs do not like to be pruned, and really do not want to be shorn, so should be planted where they have room to develop their natural forms. Sadly, wild lilacs are not permanent, and typically die within ten years or so.