Plant Guide

Ceanothus americanus L.
New Jersey tea
CEAM

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Subshrub, Shrub
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Spring and Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	High
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Blue
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Moderate
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Multiple Stem
Growth Rate	Slow
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)	3
Height, Mature (feet)	3
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation	Low
Resprout Ability	Yes
Shape and Orientation	Semi-Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	None
CaCO3 Tolerance	Medium
Cold Stratification Required	Yes
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	Medium
Frost Free Days, Minimum	120
Hedge Tolerance	Low
Moisture Use	Low
pH, Minimum	4.3
pH, Maximum	6.5
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	2700
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	4800
Precipitation, Minimum	25
Precipitation, Maximum	60
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	14
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Tolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-28

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Spring
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	Low
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	Yes
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	Yes
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	112000
Seed Spread Rate	Slow
Seedling Vigor	Low
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	Slow

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	Yes
Palatable Browse Animal	Medium
Palatable Graze Animal	Low
Palatable Human	Yes
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Low
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons

Subclass Rosidae

Order Rhamnales

Family Rhamnaceae -- Buckthorn family

Genus Ceanothus L. -- ceanothus P

Species Ceanothus americanus L. -- New Jersey tea P

Uses

Ethnobotanic: Tribes of the Missouri River region used the leaves for tea and burned the roots for fuel on buffalo hunting trips when fuel wood was scarce. The roots of New Jersey tea were used by the Chippewa for pulmonary troubles and for constipation coupled with shortness of breath and bloating. The Cherokee held the root tea on an aching tooth to ease the pain and consumed hot root tea for bowel troubles.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Description

General: Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae). New Jersey tea is a native shrub ranging from 2-10 dm tall. The leaves are broadly oblong-ovate, 5-10 cm long by 2.5-6 cm wide. The leaves are wedge-shaped, tapering to a point at the base with a blunt tip. New Jersey tea has a branched, racemose inflorescence (1-4 cm long) with flowers maturing from the bottom upwards. The flower petals are dipper-shaped, 1-1.5 mm long, and white colored.

Distribution: For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Habitat: New Jersey tea is usually found in the sandy soils of open woodlands and prairies, and on rocky hillsides.

Adaptation

New Jersey tea is fire-adapted. It is typically top-killed by fire, but is a prolific re-sprouter from the surviving rootstock. Where frequent fire occurs, New Jersey tea becomes a dominant species forming clusters among prairie grasses.

Establishment

New Jersey tea is a drought tolerant species that grows best in well-drained soils with full sun. New Jersey tea is difficult to transplant, therefore propagation by seed is recommended. Seeds should be planted outside in the late fall or early winter. To improve seed germination for spring planting the seeds should be submerged in hot water (180 deg. F) and allowed to soak overnight as the water cools then planted outside.

Pests and Potential Problems

New Jersey tea is susceptible to leaf spot and powdery mildew, however no serious insect or disease problems exist.

Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

These materials are readily available from commercial plant sources. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

References

Correl, D.S. & M.C. Johnston 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. Texas Research Foundation, Renner, Texas. 1881 pp.

Easyliving Wildflowers 2001. Native perennial wildflowers. Willow Springs, Missouri.

https://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/cea.amer.htm

Gilmore, M. 1977. Uses of plants by the indians of the Missouri river region. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska. 109 pp.

Great Plains Flora Association 1986. Flora of the great plains. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 1392 pp.

Hamel, P.B. & M.U. Chiltoskey 1975. Cherokee plants their uses-a 400 year history. Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina. 65 pp.

Kindscher, K. 1987. Edible wild plants of the prairie. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 276 pp.

Missouri Botanical Garden 2000. Plant Finder. https://www.mobot.org/hort/plantfinder/Code/A/G82.htm

Moerman, D.E. 1998. Native American ethnobotany. Timber press, Portland, Oregon. 927 pp.

Moerman, D.E. 1999. Native American ethnobotany database: Foods, drugs, dyes and fibers of native North American peoples. The University of Michigan-Dearborn, Michigan. https://www.umd.umich.edu/cgi-bin/herb.

Rydberg, P.A. 1932. Flora of the prairies and plains of central North America. The Science Press Printing Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 969 pp.

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory 2001. Fire effects information system. Accessed: 23jul2001.

https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrubs/ceaame/index.html

Prepared By:

Matthew D. Hurteau

Formerly USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, c/o Environmental Horticulture Department, University of California, Davis, California

Species Coordinator:

M. Kat Anderson

USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, c/o Plant Science Department, University of California, Davis, California

Edited: 29jan03 jsp; 09jun03 ahv; 31may06 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

Attribution: U.S. Department of Agriculture