New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Rhamnales>Rhamnaceae>Ceanothus americanus L.

	New Jersey Tea is a fairly common small shrub usually found in colonies on dry, sunny slopes. Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.
	Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.
	Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.
	The leaves are distinctively ribbed with three prominent veins. Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.
	Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.
	Leaves are hairy beneath. Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.

Flowers about to open.

Granville Co., NC 5/16/09.

The white flowers in late spring are attractive to bees and butterflies. This photo shows a Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) nectaring. New Jersey Tea is also the host plant for larvae of another butterfly, the Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis).

Blue Ridge Parkway, Carroll Co., Virginia 6/30/2002.

The flowers grow in tightly clustered panicles.

Carroll Co., VA 7/3/06.

Detail of a single flower.

Carroll Co., VA 7/3/06.

Bark detail.

Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.