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Ceanothus ophiochilus is a rare species of flowering shrub known by the common name Vail Lake ceanothus. This Ceanothus is endemic to California where it is known from only a few sites in the vicinity of Vail Lake in Riverside County. It was not described until 1989. It is currently listed as threatened on the federal level and endangered in the state of California. This is an erect shrub reaching a maximum of 2 meters but generally shorter. The young twigs are reddish and grow gray with age. The tiny evergreen leaves grow opposite on the branches and sometimes grow in clusters, and rarely reach a centimeter in length. They are thick, firm, and shiny. The shrub flowers in short inflorescences of pale blue to white to pale pink. This species grows only from seed, unlike other Ceanothus, which can usually sprout from the root crown after being cleared aboveground, such as by wildfire. This is a plant of the chaparral community and in its native range, which currently extends only a few acres, it grows in pyroxenite soil atop an ancient volcano. One of the three remaining populations of this plant is on private property that may face development in the future. The plant is in cultivation.
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