New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus

91

Keystone

Native to Mississippi (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 2–3 feet
Spread: 3–5 feet
Light: 2–4 hours, 4–6 hours, Full sun
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 4 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 6 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Ceanothus americanus in bloom — Becky Dill · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Spring and summer
Fruiting season: Summer

Recorded in 56 Mississippi counties.

Care

Avoid wet soil.
Choose a lasting spot; established plants are difficult to move.

Care sources

NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Ceanothus americanus

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

35CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Ceanothus

Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Ancylis semiovanaHalf-Oval Ancylis
Apodrepanulatrix liberariaBarrens Carpet
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Callophrys augustinusThe Brown Elfin
Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper

Show all 35

Erastria colorariaBroad-Lined Erastria
Erastria cruentariaThin-Lined Erastria
Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
Gesta martialisMottled Duskywing
Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hypena bijugalisDimorphic Bomolocha, Dimorphic Snout
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
Redectis vitreaWhite-Spotted Redactis
Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
Zale minereaColorful Zale
Lithacodes fiskeanus
Periploca ceanothiella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

46BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Ceanothus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Ceanothus

Protandrena pauper

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Ceanothus

Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Beetles 9

Centrinites strigicollis
Centrinus picumnus
Centrinus scutellum album
Cryptorhopalum haemorrhoidale
Diabrotica 12-punctata
Limonius griseus
Oxacis thoracica
Trichius piger
Typocerus sinuatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 25

Anthrax sinuosa
Archytas analis
Archytas aterrima
Cistogaster occidua
Exorista confinis
Limnophora narona
Morellia micans
Musca domestica
Nemotelus glaber
Orthoneura nitida

Show all 25

Paradidyma singularis
Phorantha purpurascens
Phormia regina
Sarcophaga sinuata
Sciara atrata
Sepsis violacea
Siphona geniculata
Spallanzania hesperidarum
Sphaerophoria cylindrica
Syrphus americanus
Trichophora ruficauda
Tropidia quadrata
Trypeta humilis
Xanthomelana arcuata
Zodion fulvifrons

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 2

Thecla calanus
Thecla sylvinus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 21

Ancistrocerus tigris
Anoplius illinoensis
Cerceris clypeata
Cerceris compar
Cerceris robertsonii
Cerceris rufinoda
Ceropales robinsonii
Eumenes fraternus
Isodontia apicalis
Leionotus dorsalis

Show all 21

Leionotus fulvipes
Leionotus fundatus
Leionotus illinoensis
Oxybelus 4-notatus
Poecilopompilus navus
Polistes variatus
Pompiloides marginatus
Psammochares relativus
Sphex nigricans
Tachysphex acutus
Tachysphex belfragei

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other insects 4

Calocoris rapidus
Canthophorus cinctus
Lygaeus turcicus
Lygus pratensis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Rhamnaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline
Flower color: White
Growth rate: Slow
Growth habit: Several stems
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Summer

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring and summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Flower color · “White” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Ceanothus americanus
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Fruit ends · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
Height · “2–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Light · “2–4 hours; 4–6 hours; Full sun” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Ceanothus americanus
primary_flower_color · “white” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Ceanothus americanus
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil pH · “Neutral to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Spread · “3–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Mississippi rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
MS status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Needs good drainage. Avoid wet soil. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources