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New Jersey Tea

New Jersey tea flowers
Photo credit: USFWS

New Jersey Tea
(Ceanothus americanus)

Height:

  • 2 to 3 feet

Bloom:

  • June to July

Classification:

  • Native
  • Shrub

Sun:

  • Full sun to part shade

Soil moisture:

  • Dry to Medium

Provides food for:

  • Native bees (flowers)
  • Honey bees (flowers)
  • Butterflies (flowers)
  • Hummingbirds (flowers)
  • Caterpillars (foliage)
  • Songbirds (caterpillars and other insects)

Notes:

  • Drought tolerant.
  • Puts most of energy first couple of years into roots.
  • Dried leaves supposedly used as tea substitute after Boston Tea Party.

Native Range:

USDA range map for New Jersey Tea
Map credit: USDA Plants Database

Relevant Backyard Ecology Resources: