North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Rhamnaceae

New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Person Co., NC
13 June 2006

Fairly common statewide, some authorities split this species into two varieties in NC, one in the mountains and piedmont, the other growing in the sandhills and coastal plain.

New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Person Co., NC
13 June 2006

In some places, like the sandhills at Weymouth Woods State Park, butterflies are often found nectaring on New Jersey Tea. In other places, however, it seems to be ignored by nectaring butterflies.

New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Moore Co., NC
10 June 2006

Distinctive alternate leaves with arcuate veins.

Carolina Buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana)
Orange Co., NC
7/20/2005

This fairly rare species is on the Watch List with the NC Natural Heritage Program. The population where this photo was taken was discovered by Will Cook a few years ago in the Duke Forest.


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on May 7, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com