Pollinator plant

New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus

Linked agroforestry plant data
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Common names

12 names · 10 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (9)
Dutch
  • Amerikaanse sering
  • Herfstsering
French
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • latnatec americký[4]
Finnish
  • vitituoksio[4]
Russian
  • Краснокоренник американский[4]
Slovak
  • ceanot americký[4]
Spanish
Ukrainian
  • Червонокорінник американський[4]
Sources & name notes (4)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Ceanothus americanus — Plant Toolbox common names ↗

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; English common names in a United States horticultural reference.

Source records
  • New Jersey Tea — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(2); heading: Common Name(s):; Ceanothus americanus.
  • Mountain Snowbell — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(1); heading: Common Name(s):; Ceanothus americanus.
[2] Ceanothus americanus — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • New Jersey tea — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • Céanothe d'Amérique — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • Té de Nueva Jersey — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
[3] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Ceanothus americanus ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • New Jersey tea — VernacularName.tsv, line 167975; taxon RYP3.
[4] Ceanothus americanus — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • New Jersey tea — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • Céanothe d'Amérique — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • Té de Nueva Jersey — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • latnatec americký — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • Краснокоренник американский — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • 澤西茶 — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • vitituoksio — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • ceanot americký — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
  • Червонокорінник американський — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 129315; Ceanothus americanus.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Ceanothus americanus is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Rhamnaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Mature height
0.61–0.91 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Mature spread
0.91–1.52 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Plant habit
Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed; Rounded

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Growth rate
Medium

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Foliage
Deciduous

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day); Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Moisture and drainage
Good Drainage; Moist; Occasionally Dry

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)

NC State Extension profile. These source categories do not certify the catalogue’s numeric pH interval.

Sources [2]
Flowering season
Spring; Summer

NC State Extension profile. Seasons reflect the source region and do not verify the catalogue’s exact flowering months.

Sources [2]
Reported wildlife attraction
Listed as attracting: butterflies, moths, pollinators, specialized bees.

NC State Extension profile. Broad wildlife categories; this does not establish flower visits by a named bee species or quantify nectar and pollen.

Sources [2]
Pollinator guidance
RHS includes Ceanothus species in its Plants for Pollinators guidance.

Genus-level guidance, not a rating for this individual species or a particular cultivar. RHS planting guidance. Choose accessible flowers with pollen and nectar; reduced-resource and double-flowered forms may be unsuitable.

Sources [3]
Native range
SE. Canada to C. & E. U.S.A.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [4]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Unknown
Agroforestry database

Complete plant information

Open full plant profile

Structure

Vegetation layer
Shrub
Size
Small
Dimensions
1.20 m high × 1.00 m wide
Growth rate
Fast
Lifecycle
Perennial
Foliage
Deciduous

Site conditions

USDA hardiness
4-9
Moisture
Well-drained, Moist
Soil
Sandy, Loamy
pH
Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
Light
Partial shade, Sun

Uses

Edible parts
Tea
Functions
Dye, Nitrogen fixer
Edibility
3 out of 5
Medicinal value
3 out of 5

A refreshing tea can be made from the dried leaves of this plant. This tea is a good alternative to coffee from China, as it contains no caffeine. The leaves are collected when the plant is in full bloom and then dried in the shade.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Ceanothus americanus — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 5143711; ID RYP3; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 5143711; ID RYP3; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. NC State Extension Ceanothus americanus — Plant Toolbox

    NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Growing conditions and seasons reflect its United States horticultural context.

    Supports: Mature heightMature spreadPlant habitGrowth rateFoliageLightMoisture and drainageSoil textureSoil pHFlowering seasonReported wildlife attraction
    Relevant sections
    • Mature height: Dimensions / Height
    • Mature spread: Dimensions / Width
    • Plant habit: Habit/Form
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Light: Light
    • Moisture and drainage: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • Flowering season: Flower Bloom Time
    • Reported wildlife attraction: Attracts

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Garden Plants

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 2, column 1, entry Ceanothus species (top 457 pt)

    Source checked on .

  4. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Ceanothus americanus — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 1341659; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 1248152, 1248153, 1248154, 1248155, 1248156, 1248157, 1248158, 1248159, 1248160, 1248161, 1248162, 1248163, 1248164, 1248165, 1248166, 1248167, 1248168, 1248169, 1248170, 1248171, 1248172, 1248173, 1248174, 1248175, 1248176, 1248177, 1248178, 1248179, 1248180, 1248181, 1248182, 1248183, 1248184, 1248185, 1248186, 1248187, 1248188, 1248189

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.