New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus 
                                                            Kenneth J. Sytsma from Wisconsin State Herbarium website
 
 
Common Name New Jersey Tea
Scientific Name Ceanothus americanus
Height/ Width up to 3' /  3'-6'
Shape globular or mound
Sun/Shade Full sun or partial shade
Leaf Color Dull green in summer, yellow-tan in fall.
Soil Well drained, average soil.  Grows in dry and rocky areas. pH 4.5-6.0 
Disease Susceptibility Occasional winter dieback. Infrequent leaf spots and powdery mildew. 
Wildlife Value Intermediate - gamebirds, songbirds, small mammals
 Notes Sensitive to soil compaction. Nitrogen-fixing. Resistant to heat. Blooms early to midsummer.

Information on Ceanothus americanus:
- Wisconsin State Herbarium - http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/herbarium/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=CEAAME
- Hightshoe, Gary L. Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Urban and Rural America. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co, 1988
- Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses.  3rd edition.  Champaign: Stipes Pub. Co.  1983.
- Harstad, Carolyn. Go Native! Gardening with Native Plants and Wildflowers in the Lower Midwest.  Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999