With its petite size and fragrant flowers, New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus, has made it the must-have shrub for native gardens. Fluffy, fragrant white flowers bloom in late spring and summer. The highly scented flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds and are excellent cut. The plant matures to a 2-3′ tall mound. Its small size and great habit make it ideal for the urban landscape. This easy-to-grow Missouri and Illinois native shrub has long roots, making it drought-tolerant once established. It looks excellent as a standout specimen in garden beds, in the back of a mixed border, as a low-growing hedge, or along a woodland edge.

A fantastic plant for humans and critters alike, New Jersey Tea’s lovely blossoms attract all kinds of treasured pollinators and wildlife. Its spicy foliage makes it a host plant for the Mottled Duskywing and Spring and Summer Azure butterflies. The important smaller insects pollinating the blossoms are a tasty treat for hummingbirds. New Jersey Tea’s seeds feed songbirds. A plant with rich history, during the Revolutionary War it earned its moniker New Jersey Tea because its leaves were used as a substitute for tea.

Plant in sun to part shade in average soils to dry soils. Will grow in rocky soil. Because of its large root system, it can be difficult to move once established.