Light Needs
Mature Height
Mature Spread
Growing Zones
A true American native plant, New Jersey Tea is a tough shrub that needs little maintenance and is easy to grow in just about any garden. New Jersey Tea attracts beneficial pollinators when in bloom and has lovely yellow stems after leaf fall in the winter. This shrub would be a nice addition to a naturalized area of your yard or a more structured Cottage Garden.
The thick leaves of New Jersey Tea are a nice medium green color that have fuzzy, gray undersides, making this an interesting addition to a garden plan that highlights foliage and form. Butterflies and Hummingbirds swarm the delicate, frothy blooms in May. New Jersey Tea can also be planted in groups for erosion control on a slope.
New Jersey Tea Care
New Jersey Tea is a shrub that really likes to be in full sun, where it will bloom heavily and have a lovely scent. Average to poor soil is acceptable as is a wide range of soil pH. Supplemental watering may not be required after this shrub is well established. New Jersey Tea is great to include in drought tolerant garden plans.
This variety of Ceanothus americanus naturally grows compact and does not require much pruning. Cutting back any dead, diseased, dying or diagonal branches early in the spring will help clean up any winter damage and prepare the shrub for vigorous new growth. Fertilizing of native plants is rarely required. A mulching of leaves or organic compost in the fall will provide the needed nutrients and help to make the soil more moisture retentive over time.
New Jersey Tea Spacing
New Jersey Tea makes for a great low growing informal hedge. The mature height and width is 3-4 feet. Planting at 40 inches on center is recommended. New Jersey Tea has very deep root systems and is very long lived. Make sure that it is planted in the correct space from the beginning.
New Jersey Tea Plant Facts
Growing Conditions
- Hardiness ZonesGrowing Zones
- USDA Zones 4 to 8 (perennial); grown as an annual elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown indoors elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown in containers elsewhere (grown as a seasonal crop)
- Sun Exposure
- Part Shade to Full Sun (3+ Hours Direct Sun)
- Mature Height
- 3-4 Feet
- Mature Spread
- 3-4 Feet
- Growth Habit
- , Upright
- Water Needs
- Low
Flowers & Foliage
- Flower Colors
- , White
- Flower Description
- White
- Bloom Time
- Summer
- Blooms On
-
New Wood
?
"Blooms on" tells you which stems produce flowers, which decides when it's safe to prune.
- New Wood: Flowers form on stems that grow this season. Prune in late winter or early spring without losing blooms.
- Old Wood: Flower buds form on last year's stems. Prune right after flowering. Pruning in fall or early spring removes next year's blooms.
- Both New and Old Wood: Blooms on last year's stems and again on new growth, so it flowers even after a hard winter or a mistimed pruning. Prune lightly after the first flush of blooms.
- When to Prune
- Late winter to early spring, before new growth starts
- Foliage Color
- , Green
- Foliage Description
- Green
- Foliage Type
- , Deciduous
- Seasonal Interest
- , Spring Flowering
Garden Benefits
Plant Overview
- Common Name
- New Jersey Tea
- Botanical Name
- CEANOTHUS AMERICANUS
- Plant Type
- Shrub
Simple Plant Spacing Calculator
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#5 Container
5 Gallon
Plant Age:
~3-4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 20" - 60"
Pot Size:
~11" H x 10 1/2” W
Volume:
3.5 - 4 gallons
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Plants that are currently in stock typically ship within 2-7 business days after your order is placed.
Plant Addicts ships to the lower 48 states within the U.S. Unfortunately, we do not currently ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or internationally.
This plant cannot be shipped to the following states: AK, HI. These restrictions apply only to this specific plant due to agricultural regulations or other limitations. Other plants may still be available for shipping to these states.
If you have any questions about shipping restrictions, feel free to reach out to our team!