Water-Wise Gardening

California-Friendly Plant: New Jersey Tea Plant

New Jersey is the Garden State, so what better place to look for the newest addition to your water-wise garden? The New Jersey Tea Plant was first made popular during the Revolutionary War as a tea substitute. It’s now used across the nation as an attractive, woody shrub with white flowers that grows up to three feet tall.

The New Jersey Tea Plant grows well in dry and drained soil, with full or partial sun. It also doesn’t take much water to keep this shrub thriving, which is why it’s so California-Friendly. For best results, soak the seeds overnight in hot water before planting. The New Jersey Tea Plant is a spring bloomer, so there’s still time to get it into your garden before the change in season.