Tea Plant

Protect your Camellia sinensis from cold, dry winds and water more in dry, hot weather and you'll have one happy chappy!

• Tea Plants will appreciate neutral to acidic soil.
• They enjoy a lot of light but not direct sunlight, an area with partial shade is perfect
• The ideal temperatures will be between 13 and 32ºC. If you keep the plant outside, it’s a good idea to bring it indoors in the colder months.
• Younger plants will need more frequent watering. Around twice to 3 times a week in the warmer months. Let the top 3 inches of the soil dry out between waterings.
• Keep it in a pot that has plenty of drainage holes to prevent ‘wet feet’.
• Normally, Tea Plants need to be repotted every 2 to 4 years when they start outgrowing their pots.
• You can prune the root call to keep the plant more compact.
• If you want to give the Tea Plant a boost, feed it with acidic fertiliser during the growing season. (Don’t use the first harvest after fertilising it for making tea. It may not taste particularly pleasant!)

Decorate and Feel good!

Tea plants are beautiful and even if you don’t like tea (really?) are a great addition to your plant collection! Their elliptic leathery will add a touch of class to any room!

Lots of studies have shown that being around plants makes us happier, increases concentration and productivity. They can also speed up hospital patients' recovery processes.

We become more aware of plants when they are highly fragranced (like the Camellia sinensis) and our senses become more enlightened!

You can get a variety of teas on your supermarket trip but most ‘real’ tea comes from the Tea Plant.

Even though most of our tea is imported from India, China and Africa, in the UK, it’s grown for commercial use in Tregothnan, Cornwall and Perthshire.

Camelia Sinensis are flowering evergreen plants and are also called ‘tea shrub’ and ‘tea tree’ (it’s not the same plant that produces tea tree oil).

Where is it from?

It naturally grows in China, Burma, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Who is the tea plant?

A hardy evergreen plant with glossy green pointed and fragrant leaves. It grows delicate white flowers in the autumn making it a pretty decorative plant.

Did you know?

Tea connoisseurs will tell you that, if it's not from the Camellia sinensis plant, it’s not really tea. But we see nothing wrong in calling blends of flowers, fruits and herbs; TEA!

Good For You!

• Natural air freshener! Its glossy green leaves are not only good for making tea, but they also have a lovely fragrance that will freshen the air in your home!

The Camellia sinensis is not hard to look after if you pay attention to its requirements. They don’t necessarily need to be fed but will require plenty of water!

Although they prefer warmer temperatures, they are quite tolerant to colder weather, just make sure they are not exposed to it for long periods of time.

How tall does it grow? They can grow up to 3 to 7 ft high in the wild. As a houseplant, with the correct care, its size can be manageable.