Ceanothus americanus
New Jersey tea is a deciduous shrub native across New England. It has unusually deep roots and is adapted to persist after fire.1
The common name refers to the historical use of its leaves as a colonial tea substitute. A 1768 Boston newspaper even described Maine-grown material offered as an alternative to imported Bohea tea.2 It is not related to tea, Camellia sinensis.
Native Plant Trust documents it in every New England state, including Maine.1
Footnotes
-
Native Plant Trust, “Ceanothus americanus — New Jersey Tea,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩ ↩2
-
Smithsonian Gardens, “A Tempest in a Teapot: Alternative Plants to Traditional Tea,” 2021. ↩