Tea

Frost Tolerance: Hardy at least to 20° F (-6° C)

Heat Tolerance: Questionable in summer in Phoenix

Sun Exposure: Light shade

Origin: South-east Asia, China to India and Sri Lanka

Growth Habits: Rounded evergreen shrub, up to 15 feet tall (4.5 m), 15 feet spread (4.5 m) or more

Watering Needs: Keep the soil moist

Propagation: Seeds, hardwood cuttings with bottom heat.

Propagation: Cutting or occasionally seed, grafting/budding

• by softwood secondary cuttings, in early summer. Apply IBA TALC 8000 PPM. Use intermittent mist. Root in 8-12 weeks. 30 minutes in water containing copper fungicide to prevent damping off..
• by cleft, 'T' grafts, in summer.
• by seeds.

The leaves of the tea plant provide the tea of commerce. The terminal shoots with 2 or 3 leaves are collected, every week or every other weeks. They can be heated immediately to stop any fermentation, this provides green tea, or they can be rolled and fermented for several hours before being oven heated and dried, this provides the black tea.

Blooming Habits:
The 1.5 inches-wide fragrant white flowers come in the fall. They are generally self-sterile and are pollinated by insects.

Culture:
The Tea bush prefers an acid soil rich in organic matter.

Propagation:
Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before sowing.