Common Names
Jersey tea ceanothus, New Jersey tea, red root, wild snowball.

Description
A shrub that grows to 2 to 3 feet in height. It has straggling, downy, alternate, ovate, finely-toothed leaves that are pale green below and dark green above. The plant produces white flowers on long stalks at upper axils.

Flowering Period
May to September.

Habitat
Upland deciduous forests, roadsides, dry open woods, and rocky banks.

Harvest
Bark of root, root, and leaves.

Uses
The root is reportedly used as an astringent, stimulant, antispasmodic, expectorant, and sedative. According to one authority, the root is also used to treat respiratory ailments. In Europe it has been used to reduce high blood pressure and to treat enlarged spleen. The leaves are used for a tea.