Everwilde Farms - 1 lb New Jersey Tea Native Wildflower Seeds - Gold Vault Bulk Seed Packet

Once used by American colonists as a tea substitute, this low-growing shrub bears fragrant white flower clusters. It also makes a lovely border or addition to prairie plantings. During the time of the Revolutionary War, the American colonists began making their own tea as a substitute for the expensive Chinese or British tea. The leaves of this nitrogen-fixing native shrub, which grew abundantly in New Jersey, could be used to make a beverage much like black tea. Native American women often used the fragrant flowers as a soap, since they produce a gentle lather and cleansing agent; the entire plant has also been used in the production of brown, green, and red dyes. This plant is a host for several butterfly species such as Spring and Summer Azures and the Mottled Duskywing. Its deep, extensive root system makes it one of the most fire-resistant shrubs on the prairie; fire may actually improve the germination of its seeds.