New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) — Plotwright

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New Jersey tea

Habit (mature) · unknown author, USFWS / Wikimedia Commons · Public Domain

Limited coverage

New Jersey tea

Ceanothus americanus

A native eastern + central North American deciduous shrub with frothy white flower clusters in early summer + nitrogen-fixing root nodules (one of few non-legume nitrogen-fixers). Compact + drought-tolerant; tea was brewed from the leaves during the American Revolution as a colonial-era substitute for British tea.

Native: 28 US states + 1 CA province

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: broad (76/100)

Pollinator

Border

Filler

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Low water

Mature size

24-48" tall · 36" apart

Hardy in zones

4a-8b

very cold to frosty winters

Summer heat range

Cool-Hot

cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

Yes

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A documented larval host for the Spring azure — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.

Wildlife relationships

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 40 ecoregions — 35 climate-resilient through 2070 · 5 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Arizona Mountains forests

Blue Mountains forests

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Colorado Rockies forests

Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/new-jersey-tea

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · Public Domain (USFWS)

Backs 1 field

Image

Community photos

The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

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