Ceanothus americanus-New Jersey Tea

Description

This is a really popular plant, that always seems to be under-produced in the trade. It is often sold as being a Maine native, which it definitely is. I never did too much research on it, and have kept an eye out for it in my rambling adventures around southern Maine for years, and have never found it in the wild. Okay, what the heck is going on here. Turns out, according to the Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP), it has a very limited distribution here in Maine, being only found in 9 towns in the central Maine counties of Androscoggin, Kennebec, Oxford, and Penobscot. Thankfully, it is not rare globally or across its range, it’s simply at it’s northern limit here in Maine. It’s habitat preference is “dry open woods, and gravelly or rocky banks”, according to MNAP. I found it growing in the wild in just such a location near the top rim of the “Grand Canyon” of Pennsylvania a few summers ago when I was visiting this north central PA landmark. It was definitely all that; bone dry, bare soil, in the full sun, without a drop of moisture in sight. Fluffy white flowers grow on shrubs that seem to get 3-5 feet high. Flowers in late July.

Fantastic choice for those tough spots with dry soil and full sun to part shade.

3 gallon pots, 2 ft high @ $50 each.