New Jersey Tea

Create a beautiful space for yourself and loved ones in connection with nature. Compact New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) is an improved cultivar of a lovely native shrub.

The tips of the branches are absolutely covered with lovely, blue compound blooms in springtime. You'll love the pale, misty shade of the flowers...and their frilly panicles, too.

Friendly pollinators like butterflies, mason bees and many more adore the nectar! New Jersey Tea can truly be considered a pollinator shrub.

New Jersey Tea grows into a softly spreading mound that is exceptionally versatile in the garden. It's easy to tuck them here and there in a dreamy, magical Cottage Garden.

Beyond the blooms, lustrous, textured leaves and dark stems add a boldly handsome touch all season long. And although they are petite, New Jersey Tea has a densely-branched habit that gives shelter for small songbirds.

In late summer, persistent fruit clusters develop to bring a second wave of visual interest. The beautiful red seed head capsules also make these attractive plants a bird-friendly choice.

Native New Jersey Tea have long been loved for their beauty, along with their nitrogen-fixing roots which work to improve the soil. The dried leaves were actually once used to make tea!

It's easy to turn your landscape into a haven for wildlife with this popular shrub. Enjoy New Jersey Tea this season, but please hurry to place your order as our sell-out risk is quite high.

How to Use New Jersey Tea in the Landscape

This low-maintenance selection makes an exceptional accent plant. Grow them in the ground, or keep them in large outdoor containers to decorate the bend in a garden path, or flanking either side of your garden gate.

Utilize these compact, garden-worthy shrubs as a wonderful addition to mixed borders! Loads of misty blue flower heads shine in late spring and the glossy foliage stays lush and full all season.

Put them to work as a charming facer for Annabelle or Phantom Hydrangea. You'll instantly create a hard-working planting that brings smiles to all your garden visitors that works spring through fall.

if you keep an annual Victory Garden or Backyard Orchard, plant a pretty border of New Jersey Tea nearby. The entice pollinators early in the season, and these helpful visitors will explore all your edible plants, fruiting trees and bushes to boost your production.

Even apartment dwellers can make a big difference for local ecology. Simply keep them on your balcony for a delightful addition to your small space garden.

On a large property with a slope or wide, open area...you can consider this spreading shrub a groundcover. Create a mass planting by spacing them 30 inches apart, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Grow New Jersey Tea in either full sun or partial shade. They need at least four hours of sunlight a day, and prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.

Sharply drained soils are important to keep your shrub healthy. They won't tolerate standing water, so elevate them in raised beds if you need to improve drainage.

For the first season, pay close attention and give a consistent schedule of watering to help the roots get established. Use Nature Hills Root Booster to speed this process, and provide life-long support for tiny feeder roots.

As your plant settles into your landscape, it becomes drought tolerant. We do recommend that you give supplemental water as needed in extended drought...and always keep container-grown plants hydrated.

Shear lightly after blooming to shape your plants. This easy practice encourages strong growth that stays tight.

New Jersey Tea is an improved Ceanothus that delivers a long season of garden interest with its pretty light blue flowers, shelter and attractive red seed heads for the bees and birds in your neighborhood. Place your order for this useful beauty today!