By Mike Raley
Not the showiest in the camellia world, but it may be the most interesting—and probably grown more than any other type of camellia in the world—the camellia (Camellia sinensis). Why is it interesting? This camellia is also called the “tea plant.” Yes, its leaves are used to make some familiar types of tea. There are two major varieties: the Chinese Camellia sinensis sinensis and the Indian Camellia sinensis assamica. The Chinese is what we grow in the Piedmont region, a more cold-hardy variety than the Indian Camellia sinensis assamica.
There are tea farms in the Southeast, including North Carolina. “The Charleston Tea Farm,” located just a few miles from the historic city, is open to visitors. Closer to home, find the extraordinary Camellia Forest Tea Farms near Chapel Hill. They are known all over the country for their history of developing and selling camellia varieties. Their collection of tea-producing varieties is unmatched in the region. The folks at Camellia Forest not only grow tea-producing varieties of camellia, but they will also teach you how to grow and brew black, green and other teas. I drink English breakfast tea every day to help clear the cobwebs, so I’m a black tea man. Green teas seem to be in fashion and are said to be good for what ails you.
If you are serious about raising Camellia sinensis for this purpose, you should plan on growing several plants. Do a little pruning in early spring to promote new growth if you prefer making green tea, and harvest the older leaves for black tea. There are all sorts of methods for making tea from your backyard Camellia sinensis. You can find them online. It’s a fairly easy process, I’m told. I haven’t been industrious enough to try. Report back to me if you are the adventurous type.
My very learned friends at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service tell me Camellia sinensis is easy to grow—just like any camellia cultivar you’re lucky enough to have in your landscape. I was surprised to find that you can plant this species in the sun. If you visit the big tea plant farm near Charleston, SC, you’ll find acres of plants in full sun. It is generally very drought- and heat-tolerant. The leaves are small, sport a dark green color like its sasanqua relative, and are somewhat crinkled and leathery. The edges of the leaves are serrated. I think they are very attractive. The bloom is quite different from the sasanqua or japonica flowers in appearance—much smaller than the blooms we are most familiar with. Timing of blossoms is influenced by temperatures, but it occurs in the fall and winter. The blooms on the one plant I own are off-white with yellow stamens and look rather delicate. There is a cultivar, “Rosea,” which has pink flowers. The bees seem to love the blooms if they appear early enough in the season.
The Camellia sinensis may grow to a height of 10 to 15 feet and a width of 6 to 10 feet. You can therefore use this plant for a screen. If you incorporate them into the landscape as a hedge, do be careful to prune them at the right time—especially if you intend to raise tea leaves. Prune after they bloom. They prefer an acidic soil pH of 5.5 or lower. Plant them using the standard method in a hole as deep as the root ball, remembering that some plants have to be able to peek over the rim. Refill with the native soil and plenty of store-bought organic matter or soil conditioner. Cover the base of the plant with about 3 inches of hardwood mulch or pine straw. Fertilize in the spring with a low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer. Cottonseed meal is a mainstay of gardeners of old. As for disease and insects, it’s the same as every other camellia. Anne Clapp spoke mostly about scale, aphids and a fungal disease here and there, but I have found camellias to be easy to grow. There are some very old specimens in the Triangle area, to be sure. So, be an intrepid gardener like Rufus Edmisten and many a “Weekend Gardener” listener. Plant one or more Camellia sinensis in your landscape, and like the song says: “Tea for two and two for tea!”