| Camellia sinensis (The Tea Plant) |
These varieties are the plants from which green, black, white, and oolong tea are produced. Each type (green vs. black) is made using different amounts of "fermenting" and processing before drying of the leaves. We have made tea from many of these varieties and found the taste to be very similar from one variety to the next if the same processing is used. I'm sure a professional tea taster could tell the difference between large leaf and small leaf tea, but I can't taste any difference.
Tea is harvested many times a year (as often as every 10 days), so a large plant can produce quite a bit of tea, but a hedge may be needed to supply a family with a daily supply. Freshly made tea is superior to tea which has been stored for even a few months.
Many of these are grown from open-pollinated seed and tea is known to hybridize freely with other types of tea, so these may bot be the pure and true varieties. These seedlings do have the general characteristics of each variety.
Special quantity discount for tea: any 10 tea plants ($12 size only) for $100.
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