| New Jersey tea | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rhamnaceae |
| Genus: | Ceanothus |
| Species: | C. americanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ceanothus americanus | |
| Synonyms[4][5][6][7][8][9] | |
Ceanothus americanus is a species ofCeanothus shrub native to North America. Common names includeNew Jersey tea,Jersey tea ceanothus, variations ofred root (red-root; redroot),mountain sweet (mountain-sweet; mountainsweet), andwild snowball.[3][5] New Jersey tea was a name coined during theAmerican Revolution, because its leaves were used as a substitute for importedtea.[4]
Ceanothus americanus is a shrub that lives up to fifteen years[1] and growing between 18 and 42 in (0.5 and 1 m) high, having many thinbranches. Itsroot system is thick with fibrousroot hairs close to the surface, but with stout,burlish, woody roots that reach deep into the earth—root systems may grow very large in the wild, to compensate after repeated exposures towildfires. Whiteflowers grow in clumpyinflorescences on lengthy, axillarypeduncles.Fruits are dry,dehiscent,seed capsules.[4][additional citation(s) needed]
Ceanothus americanus is common on dryplains,prairies, or similar untreed areas, onsoils that aresandy orrocky. It can often be located inforest clearings or verges, onbanks orlakeshores, and on gentle slopes.[4]
Ceanothus americanus is found inCanada, inOntario andQuebec. In theU.S., it is found inAlabama;Arkansas;Connecticut;Delaware; northern and centralFlorida;Georgia;Illinois;Indiana;Iowa;Kansas;Louisiana;Maine (inOxford andPenobscot counties);Maryland;Massachusetts;Michigan;Minnesota;Mississippi;Missouri;Nebraska;New Hampshire;New Jersey;New York;North and South Carolina;Ohio;Oklahoma;Pennsylvania;Rhode Island; eastern and centralTexas;Vermont;West Virginia;Wisconsin; andVirginia[5]
During winter inthe Ozarks of Missouri, its twigs are sought as food by the localdeer; andwhite-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), in particular, will browseC. americanus year round.[4]
The flowers ofC. americanus are used as food by (and the shoots host thelarvae of)butterflies in the genusCelastrina, includingspring azure, andsummer azure; and byErynnis martialis (mottled duskywing)[10] andErynnis icelus (dreamy duskywing).
Ceanothus americanus seeds are consumed bywild turkeys andquail.[10]
The red roots and root bark of New Jersey tea are used byNative Americans in North America for infections of the upper respiratory tract. The leaves have a fresh scent ofwintergreen and were later utilized by the European colonizers as atea substitute and stimulatingcaffeine-free beverage. The root bark of the plant is used byherbalists today, and are used notably inremedies for problems of thelymph system. The root containsastringenttannins and a number ofpeptidealkaloids, includingceanothine A-E,pandamine,zizyphine,scutianine, and theadouetines.[11] They have a mildhypotensive effect.[11] Root and flowerextracts can also be used as dyes.[12]
Distribution:Virginia,Carolina, United States of America (Northern America).
Media related toCeanothus americanus at Wikimedia Commons