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• California lilacs are extremely versatile and can be planted as specimens, screens, hedges, patio trees, groundcovers on dry banks and slopes, or in mixed borders with perennials, grasses and other flowering shrubs. They can be nicely espaliered on walls too.​
• California lilacs attract birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other beneficial insects. Deer can be a challenge as they can browse heavily on plants. The large-leaved species and cultivars are more subject to their depredations than the smaller-leaved varieties. While some varieties are less subject to attract deer, no Ceanothus is fully deer resistant in the face of hungry deer, aside from the prostrate, small-leafed Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'repens'.
• California lilacs grow well in full sun, but appreciate some afternoon shade in hotter areas. They need well-drained soils, require little or no fertilization and need little water in summer (one or two deep waterings a month) once established. While occasional summer watering may improve the look of most established ceanothuses, the soil should be allowed to dry between waterings.

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• California lilacs may be pruned lightly after flowering, but never cut back into old wood, as they rarely regrow.
• The ideal time to plant Ceanothus is late fall through early winter. This allows winter rains to foster adequate deep root growth needed to sustain it in the summer. 
• Ceanothus is often reported to be short lived, but this is usually based on poor site selection. Poorly drained soils combined with frequent summer irrigation will kill the plant in a few years. While some species and cultivars can be naturally short-lived, others, such as ceanothus arboreus or ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus can live 25 years or more in the garden.

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