Camellia sinensis

• 🌱 One plant creates thousands of teas. Green, black, white, oolong, matcha and pu-erh can all originate from Camellia sinensis. Processing creates much of their remarkable diversity.
• 🌸 The tea plant produces flowers. Camellia sinensis develops beautiful small white flowers with yellow centers, resembling miniature ornamental camellias.
• 🌳 Tea can become a tree. When it isn’t regularly pruned for harvesting, some tea plants can grow into surprisingly large shrubs or trees.
• ✋ The youngest leaves are highly prized. Many fine teas are produced using tender young shoots, often described as “two leaves and a bud.”
• 🏔️ Altitude can influence flavor. Cooler conditions and slower growth at higher elevations can contribute to highly aromatic and complex teas.
• 🍃 The same leaf can taste completely different. Oxidation, rolling, heating, drying, roasting and aging can transform fresh tea leaves into flavors ranging from floral and grassy to honeyed, malty, fruity, woody or roasted.