Collected from Chia Tsao plants. Chia Tsao is a village in the mountains of Taiwan. Taiwan produces a large majority of wulong teas. The center of the island is made up of high mountains and the gardens there are among the highest in the world. Taiwan tea has small and narrow leaves compared to many tea varieties. Camellia sinensis likes lots of water but will not grow where water will stand. The second year the plants are established and starting to grow vigorously, it’s time to prune them off short again. This is what needs to be done to start the plant branching out. The plant would otherwise shoot up tall and straight into a twenty foot shrub, but for tea production the bush needs to look more like an azalea bush. Plants produce more robust teas when grown in full sun but young plants planted in direct sun will not survive. It’s best to protect the plants from direct sun the first full year. See here for a fuller description. Hardy to Zones 7a-9. Photo courtesy of NC State Extension.
Camellia sinensis ‘Taiwan’ Tea
Description
Collected from Chia Tsao plants. Chia Tsao is a village in the mountains of Taiwan. Taiwan produces a large majority of wulong teas. The center of the island is made up of high mountains and the gardens there are among the highest in the world. Taiwan tea has small and narrow leaves compared to many tea varieties. Camellia sinensis likes lots of water but will not grow where water will stand. The second year the plants are established and starting to grow vigorously, it’s time to prune them off short again. This is what needs to be done to start the plant branching out. The plant would otherwise shoot up tall and straight into a twenty foot shrub, but for tea production the bush needs to look more like an azalea bush. Plants produce more robust teas when grown in full sun but young plants planted in direct sun will not survive. It’s best to protect the plants from direct sun the first full year. See here for a fuller description. Hardy to Zones 7a-9. Photo courtesy of NC State Extension.
