narrow-leaved New Jersey tea

not listed

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Narrow-leaved New Jersey tea is a low, drought resistant shrub. In the United States it occurs in the northeastern tier of states from Vermont and Virginia west to Minnesota and Illinois, and in the Great Plains and Midwest from Iowa and Arkansas west to Montana and New Mexico. In occurs in southern Canada from Quebec to Manitoba. It is found in prairies, savannas, hillsides, and open woodlands, and on roadsides. It grows under full sun in sandy or rocky soil. It is uncommon and local in Minnesota.

Narrow-leaved New Jersey tea is a bushy, compact shrub that rises from a large root system that includes a stout taproot. It can be 24″ to 40″ (60 to 100 cm) tall but in Minnesota it is usually no more than 24″ (60 cm) in height. It sometimes forms clumps but seldom forms colonies.

The stems are erect or curving up from the base (ascending) and much branched. They do not root at the nodes. The bark is grayish-brown. Branches are ascending, flexible, and round in cross section. They are not thorn-tipped. First year branches are green to brownish-green and are densely covered with minute, more or less appressed hairs. Older branches are brown or reddish and minutely hairy, eventually becoming hairless or almost hairless.

The leaves are alternate, 1″ to 2¾″ (25 to 70 mm) long, and ⅜″ to 13⁄16″ (10 to 30 mm) wide. They are on hairy, 1⁄16″ to ¼″ (2 to 6 mm) long stalks (petioles). The leaf blades are herbaceous, not leathery, not resinous, and not aromatic. They are usually narrowly oval (elliptic) to lance-shaped, sometimes egg-shaped or inversely lance-shaped. They are wedge-shaped or rounded at the base and narrowly or broadly pointed at the tip. There are three main veins arising from the base of the blade, a midvein and a pair of secondary veins that are as prominent and sometimes as long as the midvein. The upper surface is dark green, dull, and usually sparsely to moderately covered with short, cobwebby hairs, rarely hairless. The lower surface is pale green and moderately to densely covered with short hairs, rarely hairless. The margins have 22 to 35 rounded, gland-tipped teeth per side. The leaves will shrivel and discolor in dry conditions but fully recover after a rain.

The inflorescence is a single umbrella-like, globe-shaped to half globe-shaped, 19⁄16″ to 3⅛″ (4 to 8 cm) in diameter cluster of flowers at the end of each main branchlet of the current years growth. The stalk (peduncle) of the inflorescence is usually shorter than the subtending leaf.

Each flower is about ¼″ wide. There are 5 outer floral leaves (sepals), 5 petals, 5 stamens, and 1 style. The sepals are white, triangular, curved inward, and 1⁄64″ to 1⁄32″ (0.5 to 1.0 mm) long. The petals are white, spoon-shaped, widely spreading, and 1⁄16″ to ⅛″ (1.5 to 2.5 mm) long. The stamens have white stalks (filaments) and usually dark anthers. The style is white and has 3 lobes.

The fruit is a capsule-like, modified drupe with 3 lobes. Mature fruits are black and ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (3 to 5 mm) in diameter.

The fruit is a black, capsule-like, 3-lobed, ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (3 to 5 mm) wide, modified drupe with 3 stones.

24″ to 40″ (60 to 100 cm)

White

New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) is a larger plant, up to 40″ (100 cm) in Minnesota. The leaves are larger, longer stalked, and broad, not narrow. The inflorescence is larger, panicle-like clusters on short branchlets in the upper leaf axils. The fruit is unlobed.

Moderately dry to dry. Prairies, savannas, hillsides, open woodlands, roadsides. Full or partial sun. Sandy or rocky soil.

Early June to early July

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Uncommon and local

New Jersey Tea with American Copper Butterfly (Lower Right)

This appears to be a new plant I have not seen before. Growing in the ditch near my woods.

Location: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit

New Jersey Tea with American Copper Butterfly (Lower Right)

Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County

This appears to be a new plant I have not seen before. Growing in the ditch near my woods.