Virginia Tech Dendrology

New Jersey tea Rhamnaceae Ceanothus americanus L. symbol: CEAM
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 2 to 4 inches long, ovate, with a serrate margin, sunken veins, pubescent below.
Flower: White, growing in dense rounded panicles, found in leaf axils, appearing in mid to late summer.
Fruit: Dry rounded capsules with 3 lobes.
Twig: Slender, green to brown, somewhat pubescent, with a large white pith; bundle scars are singular; buds are small and ovoid and may be somewhat pubescent.
Bark: Initially green and later developing shallow splits and turning brown.
Form: A low shrub, up to approximately 3 feet tall.

Additional Range Information: Ceanothus americanus is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information