The fruits are small capsules containing about 12 hard-coated seeds. The growth habit of waveyleaf ceanothus roots remains unstudied. Seed production varies, depending upon available soil moisture. During wet years, an individual plant may produce hundreds of seeds. During drought, the plant may produce no seed at all.
Most seeds remain under the parent plant and are gradually covered by duff.
The seeds, however, demonstrate some ability to germinate without prior stratification. Waveyleaf ceanothus is most common in the low coastal hills. Waveyleaf ceanothus grows in rocky, sandy or sandy-loam soil. The presence of sexually mature waveyleaf ceanothus individuals within a community denotes mid-seral status.