3 Gallon
Light: Part sun-sun
Soil: Dry/well-drained
Mature Height: 3-4 feet
Mature Width: 3-5 feet
Blooms: Late June- July
Description: Beautiful white flowers on this low-growing, delicately branched shrub in June. Can be fussy and may partially die back in some years, simply avoid planting it where it would be a focal point. It's worth it! Should be protected from rodents during its first year after planting.
Attracts: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract a variety of insects, especially bees, wasps, flies, and beetles. These floral visitors include Halictid bees (Agapostemon spp., Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), plasterer bees (Colletes spp.), Sphecid wasps (Oxybelus spp., Cerceris spp., Tachysphex spp.), Vespid wasps (Polistes spp., Stenodynerus spp.), spider wasps (Anoplius spp.), Syrphid flies, thick-headed flies (Conopidae), Tachinid flies, flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), bottle flies (Lucilia spp.), Muscid flies, and miscellaneous beetles. Hairstreak butterflies (Satyrium spp.) also visit the flowers. In addition, the larvae of several moths feed on New Jersey Tea, including the Broad-lined Erastria (Erastria coloraria), Sulfur Moth (Hesperymia sulphuraria), and Red-fronted Emerald (Nemoria rubrifrontaria); the caterpillars of a butterfly, the Spring/Summer Azure (Celastrina argiolus), and caterpillars of a skipper, the Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis), also feed on this shrub.
