Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea)

Ceanothus americanus is commonly called the New Jersey Tea, a compact, deciduous, long-lived native shrub with clusters of fragrant white flowers in late spring to early summer. Combining resilience, beauty, and high wildlife value, the New Jersey tea is a perfect low-maintenance shrub for ecological and formal landscapes alike.

Historically, the leaves of New Jersey tea were used as a substitute for imported tea during the American Revolutionary War, giving rise to its common name. The leaves have a wintergreen scent and taste similar to a minty green tea. Native Americans harvest the red roots and root bark of this species for medicinal uses.

New Jersey Tea is an ecological powerhouse. Its flowers attract a diversity of pollinators, including bees, wasps, butterflies, and skippers, while its seeds are eaten by wild turkeys, quail, and other ground-feeding birds. Importantly, it serves as a larval host plant for several butterfly species, including the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), and Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis), the latter of which is considered rare or declining in parts of its range.

Its strong, deep and fibrous root system makes it excellent for stabilizing dry and rocky slopes. This species does not like to be relocated once planted, so care should be taken when deciding its location. Additionally, this species poorly tolerates heavy clay and poorly draining, consistently wet soils.