bloody bloomin' plant

posted by:  jennifer

years ago while at my grandpa wagner's house, my mom and i were looking at a very pretty flower growing in his planter.   neither of us had ever seen one like it before.  we asked him what kind of flower it was.   he got a little agitated and responded "i don't know.  it's a bloody bloomin' plant." 

this popped up in my head yesterday.... because i have a shrub blooming in my front yard that is stopping traffic.   literally.  a car stopped in the middle of the street yesterday morning.   looking towards our house.  i am guessing it is because of this beauty.  but, i started thinking that i didn't even know what kind of plant it was.  

and i don't think i have enough moxie to tell someone that it is a bloody bloomin' plant.  i wish i did.

so i decided to research it.   this plant is really very plain when not in bloom.   bordering on ugly if truth be told.  but when it decides to bloom it is breathtaking.  the bees think so too. 
in my experience the blossoms only last a week or so.  leaving only a litter of purple spent blossoms on the ground.  

ceanothus maritimus  or "valley violet".

or bloody bloomin' plant if you are feeling feisty and you can't remember what it called.  
either works for me.


cheers!