New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus L., Native Minnesota Wildflower shrub, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Red-root) A small native perennial woody shrub, growing to 3 feet in height, green stems with fine hair. Flowers: The inflorescence is an elongated branched cluster of very small white 5-parted flowers on long stalks that spring from the leaf axils. The small clawed flower petals are dipper shape, flare outward opposite the five stamens with gray anthers. The upper lobes of the long flower tube of the calyx flex inward. The white style has 3 lobes. Leaves are wedge-shaped tapering to a base point and a blunt tip at the other end. They may or may not have a stalk. Veins conspicuous; soft hair under; margins usually have fine teeth. The fruit is a small three-celled drupe, tuning black when mature producing 3 brown stone-like seeds.

When burned off in prairie areas, it re-sprouts energetically from the roots. It can become dominant in prairies where there are frequent burns. It is difficult to transplant and should be propagated by seed in late fall. It is susceptible to leaf spot. The early East Coast settlers and the Indians used the plant to brew a tea-like beverage that had medicinal properties - hence the common name. The genus name if from the Greek keanothus which was used to refer to a spiny plant.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	New Jersey Tea	Ceanothus americanus L.	Buckthorn (Rhamnaceae)	Upland	Early to Late Summer
Other names and notes	(Red-root) A small native perennial woody shrub, growing to 3 feet in height, green stems with fine hair. Flowers: The inflorescence is an elongated branched cluster of very small white 5-parted flowers on long stalks that spring from the leaf axils. The small clawed flower petals are dipper shape, flare outward opposite the five stamens with gray anthers. The upper lobes of the long flower tube of the calyx flex inward. The white style has 3 lobes. Leaves are wedge-shaped tapering to a base point and a blunt tip at the other end. They may or may not have a stalk. Veins conspicuous; soft hair under; margins usually have fine teeth. The fruit is a small three-celled drupe, tuning black when mature producing 3 brown stone-like seeds. When burned off in prairie areas, it re-sprouts energetically from the roots. It can become dominant in prairies where there are frequent burns. It is difficult to transplant and should be propagated by seed in late fall. It is susceptible to leaf spot. The early East Coast settlers and the Indians used the plant to brew a tea-like beverage that had medicinal properties - hence the common name. The genus name if from the Greek keanothus which was used to refer to a spiny plant.