NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Ceanothus americanus

New Jersey Tea

Scientific Name:	Ceanothus americanus
Genus:	Ceanothus
Species Epithet:	americanus
Common Name:	New Jersey Tea
Plant Type	Shrub
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Size:	1-3 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	White
Light:	Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Wet
Bloom Time:	May, June
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Ceanothus americanus var. americanus: Woodland borders, dry woodlands, glade openings, dry ridge forests and woodlands (pine or oak) in the Mountains. Common in NC Mountains and Piedmont; uncommon in Coastal Plain.Rare Ceanothus americanus var. intermedius: Sandhills, dry sandy woodlands and forests, rocky openings around granitic or quartzitic rocks in the Piedmont. Rare in NC Piedmont, common in Coastal Plain.
Leaf Arrangement:	Alternate
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Has some wildlife value
Landscape Value:	Suitable for home landscapes
State Rank:	S5: Secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
Notes:	Rabbit, elk and deer browse New Jersey tea and turkey and quail eat the fruit. The small flowers attract numerous insects, especially bees, wasps, flies, and beetles. Butterflies and moths visit the flowers occasionally. These insects collect nectar from the flowers, although bees may also collect pollen. The caterpillars of the butterfly Celestina neglecta (summer azure) and the skipper Erynnis martialis (Mottled Duskywing) feed on the flowers, flower buds, and fruit of a variety of small woody shrubs including New Jersey tea. https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_ceam.pdf
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Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record