Looking for a beautiful native shrub that works hard for pollinators? Meet New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)!
This compact native shrub produces clusters of tiny, fragrant white flowers in late spring and summer, creating a wonderful feeding station for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. 🐝🦋
New Jersey tea typically grows about 2–3 feet tall, making it a great choice for sunny native gardens, pollinator beds, borders, and naturalized landscapes. Once established, its deep root system also makes it quite drought tolerant.
🦋 And it isn’t just a nectar plant! New Jersey tea serves as a larval host for several butterflies and moths, including the mottled duskywing and spring azure.
🍵 Wondering about the name? During the American Revolution, its leaves were reportedly used as a tea substitute when imported tea was difficult to obtain.
🌱 Why add New Jersey tea to your landscape?
• Native to much of eastern and central North America
• Provides nectar and pollen for numerous insects
• Supports butterfly and moth caterpillars
• Compact enough for many home landscapes
• Drought tolerant once established
• Beautiful white blooms complement colorful summer wildflowers
Planting native species like New Jersey tea helps create the connected pockets of habitat our pollinators and other wildlife need to thrive.
💚 One native plant can feed many lives.
Photo: Annette MaCoy, Penn State Master Gardeners
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