Rhamnaceae (Ceanothus)

Protocol Information for:

Label_title:
Ceanothus (americanus)

Family Names:

Family Scientific Name:
Rhamnaceae

Family Common Name:
Buckthorn Family

Scientific Names:

Genus:
Ceanothus

Species:
americanus

Scientific Classification:

Scientific SubSpecies:

Species Authority:
L.

Scientific SubAuthority:

Authors:

Common Synonym:

Genus:

Species:

Synonym Classification:

Synonym SubSpecies:

Species Authority:

Synonym SubAuthority:

Other Information:

Common Name:
New Jersey tea

Species Code:
CEAAME

Ecotype:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

General Distribution:
Upland woods, prairies and barrens. Quebec to Minnesota, s. to Florida and Texas. (Gleason and Cronquist, 1991) Common in western Maryland. (Brown and Brown, 1992)

Known Invasiveness:

Propagation Goal:
plants

Propagation Method:
vegetative

Product Type:
Container (plug)

Stock Type:
Rooted vegetative cuttings in 1/2 and 2-gallon containers.

Grow Time:
3 Years

Target Specifications:
Approximately 3 years to fill 1 gallon containers; 2 years for 1/2 gallons. Height: 1/2 gallon pots range from 12-24"; 1 gallon are from 24-36". Root system: full fibrous root system which fills the container.

Propagation Collection:
Source of cuttings: Little River Road, Sky Harbor in the Foothills Parkway.
Collection Dates: 7/17/95 and 6/26/96.

Propagation Processing/Propagule Characteristics:
Softwood cuttings were taken in June and July.

Pre-Planting Propagule Treatments:
Cuttings were trimmed to about 6" with sterile shears leaving one pair of leaves at the top. Cut ends were dipped in a 1:10 solution of rooting hormone and stuck in perlite-filled plastic (Kadon) flats with drainage holes. Flats were placed under mist in the greenhouse for several weeks until rooting occurred.

Growing Area Preparation / Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:
Propagation environment: greenhouse.
Rooted cuttings were transplanted into quart sized containers using a customized woody mix (3.8 cu. ft. Sunshine #1, 4 cu. ft. pine bark mulch, 20 oz. controlled release Nutricote 18-6-8 with micros and about 20 oz. endomycorrhizae.

Establishment Phase:
Transplants were potted in quarts the first season and kept in the greenhouse over winter because of their small size. Water soluble fertilizer was applied as needed at rates for sensitive plants and seedlings were monitored for moisture.

Length of Establishment Phase:
10-12 months

Active Growth Phase:
In the springs of the second and third seasons, transplants were bumped up to 1/2 and 1 gallon containers respectively. Insides of pots had been treated with Spin-Out to inhibit girdling and encurage development of a fibrous root system. Larger containers were placed in an outdoor shade house with overhead irrigation for the summer. Gallon pots were top dressed with 180 day controlled rerlease Nutricote 18-6-8 as needed.

Length of Active Growth Phase:
1-2 years, depending on container size.

Hardening Phase:
Frequency and duration of irrigation is reduced as plants go dormant, depending on natural rainfall.

Length of Hardening Phase:
about 2 months

Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:
Dormant 1/2 gallon and smaller 1 gallon plants were overwintered in cold storage at 40F and watered as needed to prevent dehydration. Larger container plants were overwintered outdoors under a microfoam insulating blanket. Dead leaves and debris were removed and containers were watered, and overlapped on their sides on weed barrier. Rodenticide baits were placed at intervals to discourage gnawing rodents and the microfoam was secured.

Length of Storage:
December to mid-March

Guidelines for Outplanting / Performance on Typical Sites:

Other Comments:

References:
Brown, Russel G. and Melvin L. Brown. 1992. Woody Plants of Maryland. Port City Press, Baltimore, MD
Gleason, Henry A. and Arthur Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd edition. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.
USDA-NRCS National Plant Materials Center. Woody bed and container plant records. Unpublished.

Citation:
Hayward, Hugh; Kujawski, Jennifer. 2002. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Ceanothus americanus L. plants Rooted vegetative cuttings in 1/2 and 2-gallon containers.; USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center Beltsville, Maryland. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/06/13). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.

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