Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen shrub used both decoratively and for consumption, with its medicinal properties well known worldwide. The leaves, buds, and fruits are used to prepare tea, as well as ingredients in some medicinal preparations.
The history of the tea plant begins in Asia, 22,000 years ago, after the last ice age, although this aspect still sparks intense debate among researchers. Camellia Sinensis has been a subject of medical and even political controversies over time—but its use for making tea and other refreshing beverages has remained constant.
The tea tree generally appears as a shrub that reaches up to 2 meters in height in cultivation. The plants naturally tend to grow taller, but they are usually kept at this height through pruning. The new leaves are glossy and typically contain 4% caffeine, making them ideal for harvesting. As they age, their chemical composition changes, allowing for the preparation of various types of tea with different properties. To preserve the caffeine content, the buds and the first 2-3 leaves should be harvested. Under optimal growing conditions, this procedure is repeated every two weeks.
Care for Camellia Sinensis. The tea tree is successfully cultivated in outdoor plantations in areas where temperatures do not frequently drop below -10°C, or in protected areas / cold greenhouses. Although technically it can withstand down to -15°C, long-term exposure to such temperatures can cause significant damage to the plant.
Plants currently available in the horticultural trade are generally descendants with significantly improved cold resistance – nowadays, plantations exist even in mountainous areas at very high altitudes, where the weather is not very friendly. Such plantations were established to obtain plants with certain characteristics – for example, due to low temperatures, plants grow more slowly, but caffeine content is higher and more black tea specialties can be produced.
The plant tolerates lack of water better than excess water. It is recommended to use a substrate that retains some moisture but drains excess water well, so that water does not stagnate. A universal peat mix improved with pumice and/or perlite can be successfully used.
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