HERB, NEW JERSEY TEA

Ceanothus americanus

Seeds per packet ~ 20

Germination: 93% Packed for 2023

New Jersey Tea is a native perennial shrub with pretty white pom-pom-like flowers and green leaves with a wintergreen-like flavor when fresh. Indigenous people have long used the root bark and roots medicinally, mainly to treat upper respiratory infections. Herbalists today use it for problems of the lymphatic system. During the American Revolution, when it was politically incorrect to drink imported tea, American patriots took to drinking tea made from the leaves of this plant. It is said to be stimulating, though caffeine-free.

It is a pretty plant, and its flowers attract a wide range of pollinators (as you can see in the blurry photo). It thrives in sunny or at least partially sunny locations, growing to about 3 feet tall. Our seed comes from Sheffield's Seed Company in Locke, NY.