Native Spotlight: New Jersey Tea & Buttonbush

This week’s Native Spotlight features two native shrubs that can fill very different roles in the landscape: New Jersey Tea and Buttonbush. Whether you’re working with a dry, rocky slope or an area that tends to stay wet, there may be a native option for the job.

New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

New Jersey Tea is a fragrant, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its tiny white flowers from spring into summer. Its dried leaves have also historically been used as a caffeine-free tea substitute.

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Flowers: Fragrant, rounded clusters of white flowers from late spring through mid-summer

Soil: Dry to medium sandy, loamy, or rocky soils. It can grow in very poor soils and fixes nitrogen in the soil.

Zones: 3–9

Size: 2–4 feet tall by 3–5 feet wide

Maintenance: Water deeply during the first year to help establish its deep taproot. After the first year, prune in early spring to remove any winter die-back.

Landscape Use: Its deep taproot makes New Jersey Tea a great option for slopes and banks where it can help stabilize dry or rocky soil. Its compact size also works well for low borders and hedges. The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees, making it a great addition to a pollinator garden.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

If New Jersey Tea is suited for the dry side of the landscape, Buttonbush is one to consider for the wet side. This wet and swampy soil-loving native is known for its unique spherical flowers that resemble pincushions. It’s a hardy, resilient deciduous shrub that pollinators and birds love.

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Flowers: Spherical white flowers from June through September

Soil: Consistently moist, wet, or swampy soil. It can tolerate standing water and brief flooding.

Zones: 3–10

Size: 6–12 feet tall and wide, with compact cultivars reaching around 3–5 feet tall and wide

Maintenance: Buttonbush flowers on new wood, so it can be pruned back in late winter or early spring.

Landscape Use: Buttonbush is great for erosion control in wet areas, including along streams, ditches, and lake shorelines. It can also help fill areas that consistently hold water and makes a great centerpiece for rain gardens or pond-side plantings.

Right Plant, Right Place

These two natives show just how versatile native plants can be. New Jersey Tea can tackle dry, rocky areas while Buttonbush can thrive where moisture is abundant.

Choosing plants that naturally fit the conditions of your landscape can mean less fighting against the site and more opportunity to create habitat for local wildlife at the same time.

Stop by Carson’s Nurseries and let our team help you find the right native plants for your landscape.