Camellia sinensis (tea tree)

[Filb]

I was wondering if any of you grew Camellia sinensis (the tea tree) and possibly if you then knew of any reputable vendors?
I would be interested in getting a seedling (I heard growing from seed can be difficult...don't want to go there).

I think it's a very pretty plant, AND you can harvest the new leaves in the spring to make tea!
I would be growing mine inside as kind of an experiment. I figure they would do well in the same type of environment as my orchids.

I would love to hear any growing advice too!

[SarinahL]

Sorry, don't know answers to your questions, but I do know the theory to making tea! (prepping the leaves I mean, not the brew )

[plantloverlisa]

You can try this link......Camellias for Sale at ACS Headquarters It is the American Camellia Society and they do sell it.

[Leafmite]

The Camillia Shop sells a variety and has the best info site that I've found. I bought mine at Logees (I could be spelling this wrong) just because I was buying some other plants. If you grow this in a pot, the Camellia Shop has excellent advice from mixing the soil to pruning. I did add some extra stuff to make the soil a bit looser to be on the safe side.
Good luck,
leafmite

[PaulB]

A cutting would most likely work better for you. If you can get someone to root one for you. They root pretty easily from cuttings, depending on time of year. Camelias in general.

[Filb]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

The Camillia Shop sells a variety and has the best info site that I've found. I bought mine at Logees (I could be spelling this wrong) just because I was buying some other plants. If you grow this in a pot, the Camellia Shop has excellent advice from mixing the soil to pruning. I did add some extra stuff to make the soil a bit looser to be on the safe side.
Good luck,
leafmite

Logees has a great site! My dad had recommended these people in the past too. Their Camellia is pretty reasonably priced.

Originally Posted by PaulB

A cutting would most likely work better for you. If you can get someone to root one for you. They root pretty easily from cuttings, depending on time of year. Camelias in general.

My dad knows a guy who pretty much grows everything. I will have to ask him if he would give me a cutting. Thanks for the thought!

This is going to be fun. I am excited!

[lmartiny]

I have never heard of Camelias being a tea source. Or edible for that matter. And here I live in the south. I've put a couple in the ground over the years and always have a problem with a white fluffy mold that decimates them. I cut one down to the ground to kill it but it came back. So I'm giving it a chance.

[Filb]

I'm pretty sure it's just C. sinensis that is used for tea. The rest of the species are ornamentals only.

Where do you usually see the mold? Roots, leaves?

[Stelios]

I have on in my mug collection. Espresso mugs with arabica coffee plants (they need repotting) and a big coffee mug with tea tree (also needs repotting) both from a local nursery unfortunately so i can not recommend someone near you. But the tea tree is a bit difficult, i already killed 2 of them. But i enjoyed freshly cut tea (i recommend that you do not cut the already grown leaves because some vendors use leaf polish, just wait a bit for new leaves to grow and use them for your tea).

[Leafmite]

Here is a great site with great advice on growing these: CamelliaShop
I didn't exactly follow the soil recipe but it has the same recommended properties: acidic, well-draining, and organically rich. I use the recommended fertilizer, hollytone.
Leafmite

[PaulB]

Originally Posted by Filb

Logees has a great site! My dad had recommended these people in the past too. Their Camellia is pretty reasonably priced.



My dad knows a guy who pretty much grows everything. I will have to ask him if he would give me a cutting. Thanks for the thought!

This is going to be fun. I am excited!

That sounds like a winner! If you can, get a few strong cuttings. The more the better, in case you lose one or two. Rootone® (sp?) made especially for cuttings, works well for me, but I'm sure there are other brands out there that are just as good.

Funny. I caught a young lady one day clipping cuttings from my Hibiscus. She looked like she had seen a ghost when I came around and saw her. Turned out, she was so impressed with the flowers, she couldn't resist. When I asked her why she was taking them, she told me she was going to "try to root them somehow". What a compliment! I ended up rooting them for her and showed her how to do it. Start of a great friendship, tho her husband is still a bit embarrassed.

[Filb]

Thought I would update (albeit a bit late): my parents got me a C. sinensis from Logees for Christmas!
It's very interesting, they had it potted in a well-draining bark mix which kind of took me by surprise. I've been treating it very much like my orchids and it hasn't really done that much. I think with the warmer temperatures lately it's just started to wake up.

[1joyceh]

I had one, and yes, takes forever to get it growing, but, is a nice little plant...one warning it is a spidermite magnet, so keep your eyes on it!
I eventually gave her to a friend, who reports after 4 yrs, it has doubled in size, and despite after several rounds with mites, is doing very well!

[pikkumyy]

Originally Posted by Filb

I was wondering if any of you grew Camellia sinensis (the tea tree) and possibly if you then knew of any reputable vendors?
I would be interested in getting a seedling (I heard growing from seed can be difficult...don't want to go there).

I think it's a very pretty plant, AND you can harvest the new leaves in the spring to make tea!
I would be growing mine inside as kind of an experiment. I figure they would do well in the same type of environment as my orchids.

I would love to hear any growing advice too!

i bought a tatty looking one a couple of months ago, and it's starting to get some new shoots on it. i asked my friend that owns this particular nursery if she had any herbs for making tea, and she came back with Camellia sinensis and said it is what makes tea, i've never grown it before so i'd love to see what others have to say on it, though i do have mine growing in full sun and it's as happy as larry

[Leafmite]

I had wondered if you'd gotten one. I am so glad you have. They are easy to grow and grow very quickly. Mine even bloomed last autumn. I use hollytone, an organic fertilizer. My soil is very crazy: bark, sand, moss, perlite, fish gravel, peat, and vermiculite. It is a very well-draining mix and I keep it moist. Good luck! If you have any questions, just ask!

[longshuen]

Originally Posted by lmartiny

I have never heard of Camelias being a tea source. Or edible for that matter. And here I live in the south. I've put a couple in the ground over the years and always have a problem with a white fluffy mold that decimates them. I cut one down to the ground to kill it but it came back. So I'm giving it a chance.

The tea leaves that you make tea with are from two types of Camelieas: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, and Assam tea, Camellia sinensis var. assamica. However, they need to go through a drying process in order to make the leaves tea. That you need to research on. I grow Camellias for their flowers!

[kip]

Camellia sasanqua, Camellia japonica, and Camellia kissi have also been used to make tea (sasanqua is usually not used by itself, only mixed with sinensis).